Work in Progress: Study of a Mad Golfer
by Andrea Churchill
Summary: Inspired by Work in Progress: Study of an Evil Genius by purplegirl761. The idea and concept goes completely to her-I just changed around our main character!
1. Haggis

Work in Progress: Study of a Mad Golfer

**Inspired by **_**Work in Progress: Study of an Evil Genius **_**by purplegirl761. The idea and concept goes **_**completely**___**to her-I just changed around our main character! I'm a Duff fan, so I thought I'd try this lovely fan fiction idea with him. I don't think I'll go up to 100, but I'll try my best. :) Most stuff is going to be made up, since we really didn't get to see many episodes with him, therefore not getting many situations or information to write about. The one-shots will be random, ranging from as a wee laddie, to his mad golfer days. Hope ye like it, me lassies and laddies!**

**I'm giving it the highest rating, because certain subjects will be brought up later. And sorry to any Scots out there if I mess up some kind of information or something like that. I'm not Scottish. **

**Also, I'm sorry I'm not the greatest at talking through a child's point of view. This first chapter is supposed to be, as will several other chapters. I'm working on it! It's a skill I am determined to master! **

**Haggis**

Four-year old Duff Killigan stared at his bowl of dinner in confusion. What the heck was this stuff? It was a round ball of a green-brown color, and it smelled of...well...he really didn't want to think about that. For the sake of his mental state, his ma didn't tell him the contents. Just said he was supposed to eat it. Said that _everyone _in the Killigan family ate it. It was a traditional Scottish food.

Hm..._traditional. _The word lingered around in the four-year old's brain for some time. It had a funny sound to it. Funny like the time Will got rammed by that goat. He was crying and everything.

Nevertheless, the word stuck to his brain, and he didn't know why.

Maybe it had to do with the fact that the word swam around his family's castle like a fish, when it wasn't caught and eaten by the fam. He could remember his ma saying the word over and over again when she dressed him in this weird outfit he was wearing now. It had an obnoxious green and red pattern, and reminded him of what his sister usually wore.

Speaking of his sister, she plopped right across from him at the old wooden dining table, dressed in her little pale blue woolen dress. She looked so pretty.

And his brother-his annoying big brother-scurried like a rat into the kitchen, sat across from him and next to his sister, looking excited. Could he honestly be excited for whatever it is he was supposed to eat?

Duff's mother placed two bowls in front of her children, also filled with the _traditional _food of Scotland, their home land.

His brother dug in like a wild beast. He and his sister watched him in amazement.

"Don't eat _too_ fast, Will." Carol chirped. Her voice was that of a bird-soft, sweet, and delicate. "You'll get a tummy ache."

"You can't get a _tummy ache _from eating too fast, _Carol_." Will protested, speaking with his mouth full of the strange dish.

"Sure ye can, brer." Carol spoke. "I've gotten plenty of tummy aches before."

Little Duff spoke up for the first time in the argument. "I think I'm gonna getta tummy ache just after eating this anyway...what is it?"

"I think momma called it haggie or something. She says to eat it, so I'm gonna try it!"

Carol Killigan scooped up a spoonful of the green-brown food in her bowl. She lifted it to her nostrils, sniffed it, then put the spoon in her mouth experimentally.

Duff watched his sister with amazement. He watched her expression as she chewed.

"Ye know, it's really not that bad." Carol said, finally swallowing the 'haggie'. Will continued to scarf down his dinner with no proper manners, whatsoever.

Duff cringed as he looked into his bowl. Why did it have to smell like that? Heck, why did it have to _look _like that?

Carol and Will stared down their brother. Wasn't he going to try it? Ma and Pa might get upset if he didn't...and _especially _Gram. It _was _her recipe, after all.

Hesitantly, little Duff scooped a spoonful of this mysterious haggie. He put the spoon in his mouth.

Hm...Carol was right. It really _wasn't _that bad. It wasn't that different from what he _usually _ate. Actually, it was pretty good the more he ate it. Better than anything he's ever tasted, really. Ma had set the table with some neeps, and some tatties to eat with the 'haggie'. Will grabbed the bowls and served himself greedily.

Despite his brother's horrible animalistic manners, he could understand the enthusiasm behind eating this stuff. He was still curious what was in it...but, all in all, he didn't care. It couldn't be anything bad, because it just tasted so good...

The three Killigan children ate their dinners, as Belle Killigan stirred the pot of haggis over the antique, black coal stove inside the small dark kitchen. Allan and Cathella Killigan entered the kitchen; Allan, in his gruff and husky demeanor, and Cathella in her small, delicate, and weak form.

Allan saw his children eating. More importantly, he spotted his son Will scarfing down the traditional Scottish food. He approached him with determination and slapped his child on the back, hard.

"Tha's me boy!" he chuckled. Cathella smiled happily at her grandchildren, enjoying the haggis as she knew they would.

Duff continued to eat the haggis, and wished he could eat it _every _day. When he asked his father what it was, really, Allan simply chuckled and ignored his son's questioning eyes. Belle looked to her son, however, with a soft and caring, thoughtful expression. She put a hand to his small back, gently.

"It's fro' the sheep's heart, liver, lungs, and is' go' onion, oatmeal, some spices, and some stock...maybe when ye older, Duff, Gram could show ye the recipe. And when ye old enough, maybe ye could make it yeself."

"Really?" Duff squealed. Oh, boy! Oh, boy oh boy oh boy!

Little Duff imagined being all grown up, living in his family's castle, making haggis for him and his maybe-possibly-future family. He'd have a wife, and some kids, and his Ma would stick around, too, as his kids' Gram, and and and...Carol would be there to help celebrate whatever it was they were celebrating. Or she would just be there anyway. They could all eat haggis _every day. _And his Pa would be there, if he wanted. And maybe Gram, if she was still around.

But not Will. He wouldn't be invited.

"Can't we _all _learn the recipe?" Carol asked. She turned to Will, expecting him to ask for it, too. He was too busy shoving haggis in his mouth. Duff figured his brother would grow up by himself, in some house he had to buy (unlike Duff, and maybe Carol, who would live in the family home), never having learned the 'haggie' recipe, eating...eating..._American _food.

Heh, heh. That would be a funny sight to see. Will...eating American food. Living in America. Throwing away the highly praised traditions of their homeland. He deserves it.

Duff felt funny about wishing Will practically out of the family, so it would just be him and Carol, and Ma and Gram and even Pa. But he just hated him so _much. _Watching him, acting like a wild animal, just made the Scottish lad cringe inside. Duff's father began reciting some poem by some poet with a last name that had to do with fire; a famous poem _all about _haggis. Completely devoted. Duff reminded himself to learn it, too. So _he _could recite it to _his _kids when _they_ try the yummy dish for the first time.

"_Fair fa' your honest, sonsie face,Great chieftain o' the puddin'-race!Aboon them a' ye tak yer place,Painch, tripe, or thairm:Weel are ye wordy o' a graceAs lang's my airm._

_The groaning trencher there ye fill,Your hurdies like a distant hill,Your pin wad help to mend a millIn time o need,While thro your pores the dews distilLike amber bead._

_His knife see rustic Labour dicht,An cut you up wi ready slicht,Trenching your gushing entrails bricht,Like onie ditch;And then, Oh what a glorious sicht,Warm-reekin, rich!_

_Then, horn for horn, they stretch an strive:Deil tak the hindmaist, on they drive,Till a' their weel-swall'd kytes belyveAre bent like drums;Then auld Guidman, maist like to rive,'Bethankit' hums._

_Is there that ower his French ragout,Or olio that wad staw a sow,Or fricassee wad mak her spewWi perfect scunner,Looks down wi' sneering, scornfu viewOn sic a dinner?_

_Poor devil! see him ower his trash,As feckless as a wither'd rash,His spindle shank a guid whip-lash,His nieve a nit:Thro bloody flood or field to dash,Oh how unfit!_

_But mark the Rustic, haggis-fed,The trembling earth resounds his tread,Clap in his wallie nieve a blade,He'll make it whissle;An legs an arms, an heads will sned,Like taps o thrissle._

_Ye Pow'rs, wha mak mankind your care,And dish them out their bill o fare,Auld Scotland wants nae skinking wareThat jaups in luggies:But, if Ye wish her gratefu prayer,Gie her a Haggis!"_

Duff and Carol clapped happily when Pa finished reciting the poem.

'_Oh, yeah,' _Duff thought. _'I'm going to learn that!' _

Will finished eating, _finally, _and looked up from his empty bowl with disappointment and sure signs of a tummy ache, just like Carol promised.

'_She said it would happen! She said it! Heh, heh_.'

Pa sipped a glass of whiskey and chuckled, again. He saw his son, who was holding his tummy, and making a face.

"He is very irresponsible when it comes te taking care, ye know?" Carol whispered to Duff. He grinned, laughed a bit, and nod his head.

Allan Killigan pounded his fist on the kitchen table, breaking Carol and Duff's little whisper and snicker fest.

"_Don't be talkin' about ye brer. Ye should be respectful te ye Gram's cooking like he!" _he roared. A splash of whiskey flew out of his glass and hit the table.

'_Respectful? What? Will? But but but he doesn't care a thing about the Killigan family traditions! The only thing that he likes is food and poking and bothering me and being the funny one and the liked one and..._

He couldn't help it. Duff started crying.

Little Carol pat her little hand on her big brother's back.

"S'okay, brer. Pa didn' mean it like _tha'_!"

Pa huffed and chuckled, again. He seems to chuckle a lot. He got up from the table and went over to Ma, who was giving him a surprised and severely frightened look.

"What are _ye _looking a'?" he growled, lessening the distance between their faces.

Everyone was silent. Everyone knew this kind of situation. It's happened before.

Four-year old Duff Killigan buried his head in his bowl of haggis. He felt something tingle inside of him-he feels like he's found something that he really likes.

The haggis, yes, but also the idea of tradition. Why didn't he realize he liked it before, when his Ma dressed him up in his very first kilt, sporran, and Ghillie shirt? Hm...maybe it had to do with the fact that the kilt and the sporran and the Ghillie shirt didn't taste like the best stuff he's ever had. But that didn't matter. Little Duff realized then and there that tradition was something he _respected_, unlike Will did. Will was corrupted. An evil little brother. It was like the evil monsters were inside him and asking him to act so cruel.

Frankenstein. The Angel of Death. Any of those spooky stories Pa would tell before bed time...

It's settled-Will's evil. Mentored by the evil Frankenstein monster to be evil himself. It made so much sense.

Or maybe Will was a werewolf in disguise! He could have been bitten by one when going off alone in the woods one night (because that's such a _William Killigan _thing to do) and transformed into one...that would explain why he always acts like an animal when he eats!

Oh yes. It's all so very clear now.

Duff held back his tears and finished his haggis. The sweet taste filled his brain, and covered up where the pain was at. He _really _liked haggis, now. Made the pain go away. Duff made a mental note to eat haggis more often.

Carol looked up to her brother with sad eyes. She tried to smile, but it only made her look sadder. She just looked so lonely, and lost. Duff frowned.

Haggis. Oh, haggis.

Duff asked for more.


	2. Grave

Work in Progress: Study of a Mad Golfer

**Inspired by **_**Work in Progress: Study of an Evil Genius **_**by purplegirl761. The idea and concept goes **_**completely**_**to her-I just changed around our main character! I'm a Duff fan, so I thought I'd try this lovely fan fiction idea with him. I don't think I'll go up to 100, but I'll try my best. :) Most stuff is going to be made up, since we really didn't get to see many episodes with him, therefore not getting many situations or information to write about. The one-shots will be random, ranging from as a wee laddie, to his mad golfer days. Hope ye like it, me lassies and laddies!**

**I'm giving it the highest rating, because certain subjects will be brought up later. And sorry to any Scots out there if I mess up some kind of information or something like that. I'm not Scottish. **

**-I tried making this chapter as intense and as emotional as I could. So if my words don't do me justice, just use your imagination. **

**Grave**

He was 24 years old. Will was 26.

And she had been 22 when she died.

Duff Killigan looked at the tombstone of his late sister Carol. Why was it her? Why did it have to be her? He couldn't hold back the tears, or the anger. He was enraging at everyone for letting this happen, even if it wasn't their fault. Only he, his brother, and his father remained. This was the third death so far. It was the last pang in his heart. The last straw. He couldn't take any more of it.

Duff didn't know the path he was going down, from these corrupted upbringings. He was entering a rebellious phase that could not be stopped. He had become a madman, staring down that thick block of stone, with his sister's name on it.

Correction: his late sister.

Duff just couldn't get it across his mind that Carol was gone…._for good. _She had been the only innocense left in the family. She was the angel among demons. She would have made the Killigan name a wonderful one, with her beauty and her kindness…she could have married a nice man, and would have many sweet little children to balance the new generation of Killigans. Will was dating some lassie, a nice one, strangely…and as for Duff?

Well…no one was really in his life…yet. Could there be? There were many 'fish in the sea', if you'd like to call it that. Surely, with his new job as a professional golfer, he could _easily _jump in the world of dating. He's been told many lassies had a thing for jocks…

He couldn't think of his job at a time like this. Or lassies. But it was just so hard to realize the truth. The one person who's always been there for him was gone. Carol had always been his defense against Will and Pa. After being called the family rat multiple times did she stand up for him. She was always by his side, embracing him, when the subject of Ma and Gram ever came up. She was always the one to hug him and kiss him, with her warm sweet scent filling his nostrils. They were closer than any two siblings could have been. She was so shy, and innocent. And he was tormented, broken, angry.

But this was it. His reign of being tormented and being broken was over. Now, only the anger remained.

As he looked over to the two men standing next to him—his father, Allan, and his brer, Will, Duff thought of nothing but pure rage. Pa looked glum, but he _knew _for a _fact _that it was fake. It was only for appearances. Pa couldn't care less about Carol. He never did. Will was his favorite, for some strange, impossible reason, and it was completely obvious that her death had absolutley no effect on him.

And as for Will—he wasn't even frowning. As a matter of fact wha—is….IS THAT A SMILE?

Duff's fists tightened so hard, his nails dug into his skin and made him bleed a bit. But he couldn't feel it. His attention was devoted to that _smile _on his brer's lips.

A smile? At Carol's funeral! What in God's name could he be thinking about?

Was he thinking about how all the times he fought with Carol, and called her names and pulled her hair when they were little, or maybe about all the times when he got her and Duff in trouble for something that they didn't do…no, scratch that; for something _he _did? Was he thinking _'Ha! Look where ye are now, Carol. Look at what fate was brought upon ye. And look at I—I told ye, I just knew ye would end up bad like this. But ye didn't listen te me, did ye? Nei. Oh, I'm just waitin' fer the day when tis Duff's turn, lass. Then ye could laugh and sing all ye want tegether down where ye are now.'_? Or…no. Most likely he was just rubbing it off, the death, like it was absolutley nothing to him, and thinking about his girlfriend, Mary. She was staying at the castle with him for a few weeks, now. She's been staying in his room, Will. Duff didn't even want to think about what his brer was imagining…or better yet, remembering.

But seeing that little smirk on his face, at this time, in this situation, just boiled his starving guts. He tolerated everything…_everything…._up to this point. Through these stressful 24 years of his life he finally couldn't take it any longer. Carol needed some justice, for crying out loud. He was through. Done. He wasn't going to be Duff Killigan, family wimp. Family rat. Stupid little Duff who can't do anything right. Silly Duff who tries so hard but only fails. Duff Killigan, that short, stout man who golfs really well but has serious issues.

Before he knew it, Duff's fist had hit his brer's face with enough impact, it sent him flying against a nearby tree.

Will was dazed, bloody, and wide-eyed. Allan was furious, instantly snapping out of his fake remorse.

But Duff smiled at his new revealation. Allan thought he could just yell at his son for the billionth time. But he wouldn't expect the outbreak that Duff could feel coming on. He _surely_ didn't expect the violence. _That _was for sure.

"Ye _bampot! _What the _hell _is wrong with ye, ye ungraceful little f—"

Duff saved himself, because he saw it coming. Allan was going to strike him (again, for the billionth time), giving him the same effect as Will.

As Allan forced his fist into his son's jaw, his hand was stopped by Duff's very tight grip. He looked at his father in the eye with such rage. Such unexpected rage. Allan had _never _seen, yet never _expected _his wimpy son Duff, who cried out in pain and retreated to such stupid activities for escape like _golf_ and _cooking _(a woman's work!) to contain so much rage. It surprised him how scary it made him feel.

Duff shouted as loud as he could, which, in effect, was quite louder than he expected his voice to be. Something tiny inside of him gave him a little 'thumbs up' to his efficient, chilling outburst.

"DON'T YE _DARE _THINK YE CAN GET AWAY WITH SUCH AN UNAFFECTED ATTITUDE AT A TIME LIKE THIS! YE NEVER EVEN CARED FER YE DAUGHTER! YE LET HER DIE LIKE IT WAS NOTHING, JUST LIKE YE LET MA AND GRAM!" Duff shrieked. Allan was so shocked, but that last part got him stirring again. He was going to say something along the lines of how it was in no fault of his to let his daughter and mother die…and how he was _especially _not responsible for his wife's death. It wasn't, really. It had scarred him terribly, and caused him to do things that he wouldn't have otherwise done if she hadn't passed away, like the beatings…

And it was just a coincidence that his daughter died the same way as his wife. It had absolutely no relation, nor did he have anything to do with it. But Duff didn't let him speak.

"I've been SICK of seeing the bias that Carol has gotten all through the years, and I am NOT letting ye and Will treat her death like it's zilch, and that she was not a soul! Ye NEVER saw the good in her, but isntead ye choose te love the corrupted little child who grew up te be a OGRE. The boy who's done everything in the book, against everything, and in ye wee SCREWED UP head ye think this is the greatest gift God has ever known?" Duff asked, pointing to his half-conscious brother. "If ye are not going te remorse her death than just LEAVE. She doesn't need ye're fake tears fer _nothing_!"

With those last words, Duff pushed his father back at least three feet. Allan was surprised—he never even knew his son was that strong. Neither did he think he could ever get or look that angry…

Will was still hanging by the tree, the whole lower portion of his face covered with blood. But soon he regained consciousness and realized what had happened.

'_Duff punched me.'_ He realized. _'Wait…Duff? No, not Duff. That certainly just wasn't possible. Me brer did nothing in his life but cry over everything, the babe.'_

But it happened. It was true. This new Duff that was emerging—this angry, viscious Duff—was real.

But Will could care less about this new person that was emerging through his brer. All he thought about was the fact that he was _punched _in the _face, _and he was _bleeding_. And his brer did it. His feeble, poignant brer.

Will forcefully got up and was to attack his brer from behind. He yelled ferociously with agression as he aimed for Duff.

But Duff was quick. He turned around, caught Will from his side, and pushed his back against his father, who continued to stand there in amazement of this evolution.

Duff screached against the two of them, so horrendously that it was expected he was truly some sort of creature. After 24 years of such a feeble man, and now this? It wasn't Duff. Not anymore.

Allan and Will couldn't do anything but follow Duff's orders by leaving the graveyard. They walked fast, back to the parking lot where the car was. They were halfway there when they looked back, and caught the old Duff kneeling down in front of Carol's grave, crying hysterically out of anger and sadness and anxiety and everything in between.

There was a new Duff, yes, but it obviously didn't mean the old Duff was gone. It showed in moments like these.


	3. Golf, part 1

Work in Progress: Study of a Mad Golfer

**Inspired by **_**Work in Progress: Study of an Evil Genius **_**by purplegirl761. The idea and concept goes **_**completely**_**to her-I just changed around our main character! I'm a Duff fan, so I thought I'd try this lovely fan fiction idea with him. I don't think I'll go up to 100, but I'll try my best. :) Most stuff is going to be made up, since we really didn't get to see many episodes with him, therefore not getting many situations or information to write about. The one-shots will be random, ranging from as a wee laddie, to his mad golfer days. Hope ye like it, me lassies and laddies!**

**I'm giving it the highest rating, because certain subjects will be brought up later. And sorry to any Scots out there if I mess up some kind of information or something like that. I'm not Scottish. **

**-I tried making this chapter as intense and as emotional as I could. So if my words don't do me justice, just use your imagination. **

****I'm being a bit more realistic here…going to add more Scots to his speech. Sorry if you can't understand, but do your best. You'll be able to get his drift most likely.**

**Sorry I took so long to update. Ive taken a long break from writing…but I'm back. I promise.**

**Golf, part 1**

He had already driven through to the employee and member parking lot, parked the car, and had gotten out. He waddled over to the trunk to get out his clubs and his balls and his tees…

He opened the trunk and sighed with satisfaction. There they were, shiny new. Just bought from a new golf store they opened up in town, _and _he got discounts from being a member of the country club. Life was good.

He grabs the brown golf bag out from his trunk and slams it shut. What a nice little vehicle. And it was Scottish-made, too! A bonus! This new job of his? Oh yeah. Not only did it pay the rent, but it came with its benefits.

Eighteen year old Duff was living in the family castle with his father, paying rent. His brother just recently moved out after marrying Duff, Will and Carol's childhood friend Mary, and Will's long-time girl friend. Will got a job opening up a slaughterhouse on the mainland Scotland, and recently purchased a house. The newlyweds have been trying for kids, Duff has heard with much disgust. All he could think about was how could anyone support the reproduction of Satan and his wife?

Duff shivered at the thought of him being an uncle. Just the thought of those little demons running around; spawns of the devil jumping all over him yelling "Uncle Duff! Uncle Duff!"…

A quick thought occurred to him.

_Wait…uncle? cheil, am Ah gettin' auld._

Even though he was only eighteen, being an uncle certainly raised the age factor. He felt at _least _thirty.

Duff walked as calmly as he could to the head facility, carrying his golf bag. It was a long walk from the parking lot, be he enjoyed the scenery. The Gentlemen's Golf Club had some extremely beautiful fields, and to top it off the weather was lovely.

Duff loved his job so…the pay was more than fantastic, it gave him some independent freedom from his family, like his brutal father, and the best of all—he was doing something he loved.

Being a professional golfer…nothing compared. It was Duff's _dream _job. He couldn't believe he had the job, right in his palms. He was quickly rising to the top from his exceptional skill…he basically had almost no competition. No one came even close to scoring better than he.

Duff, while on his long walk, remembered how his love for golf grew over the years…back at the family castle, when he was a kid, he would hit the tiny white ball across the large fields with a small stick. The childish imitation of the game grew on him, and over the years, it soon became an escape. One of the only things Duff Killigan woke up to in the morning was the hope that he would be able to play a game of golf against his siblings. Or even if he played alone—it didn't matter. But very, very soon he just got better and better…in his teens he bought himself his first golf club, and he could remember the first time he held it…the first time he hit that golf ball…how high it flew! He didn't know how hard his swing really was, with the right tools. (A golf club certainly was much more efficient than a stick)

Duff remembered everything about his love of golf…when his Pa would beat him, or when his Brer would tease him, he would just cry and run out to the fields…but when he took up that club and held it in his hands…all the pain would just go away…

And now, he was being _paid _to enjoy life, to play the sport he held so dearly. The high class life was pretty alright so far…he was the star athlete of his friends, and they would always go to an expensive, fancy bar on the mainland and sometimes the bartender would recognize him and allow everyone free drinks…or he would pay for everyone's drinks since he could…or a lass would see and know him and buy _him _a drink…or he would see a pretty lass and buy _her _a drink.

Oh, that's right. The job came with those benefits too….the lassies; the many, jock-loving lassies.

Duff smirked. Maybe one of these days he'll find a lass that was just right…maybe he would…you know, tie the knot or something.

Eh, not so fast…he wasn't ready to settle down _juuust _yet. He still had some free years ahead of him to…mess around with.

Duff whistled a tune, just as he approached the head facility. It was a tune his mother had sang to him, when he was a child. Duff sighed whenever he thought about his mother…he just couldn't seem to get over her, after all the years.

Well, at least he had Carol to keep him in spirits…she was so lovely.

Just the other day he was talking to her about something…and she gave him this innocent, sweet little smile that could make anyone melt. Duff was three years older than his sister, and he took care of her more than anyone. His Pa didn't care about her, and Will would often entertain himself by trying to get her (and Duff, if it was possible) in trouble.

But Duff? He was the perfect big brother any young woman could ever ask for. He cared for Carol more than anything in the world. Safe to say, even golf.

He imagined being close to her for the rest of their lives—when he _finally _rises to the top of his career, he promised to supply her with everything she could ever ask for. They would be living in luxury together. Only them and no one else to bother (Unless, of course, if he or Carol got married and such. Then the extended family would certainly be welcome).

These pleasant thoughts went through his head when he entered the head facility. There, he met Callum, his agent. He greeted him cheerfully every single morning. This day was no different.

"Duff! Mah, ye swatch weel thes morn. Fit loch en? Can Ah gie ye anythin'? Bin workin' oan 'at swin' ay yoors?"

Duff shook his head no. "Aam braw, cheers Callum. Jist anither brammer day it oan th' field."

Callum smirked. "Weel alrecht 'en! Let's gie swingin'."

Duff smirked back. There was absolutely no doubt that life was anything but good.


	4. Christmas

Work in Progress: Study of a Mad Golfer

**Inspired by **_**Work in Progress: Study of an Evil Genius **_**by purplegirl761. The idea and concept goes **_**completely**_**to her-I just changed around our main character! I'm a Duff fan, so I thought I'd try this lovely fan fiction idea with him. I don't think I'll go up to 100, but I'll try my best. :) Most stuff is going to be made up, since we really didn't get to see many episodes with him, therefore not getting many situations or information to write about. The one-shots will be random, ranging from as a wee laddie, to his mad golfer days. Hope ye like it, me lassies and laddies!**

**I'm giving it the highest rating, because certain subjects will be brought up later. And sorry to any Scots out there if I mess up some kind of information or something like that. I'm not Scottish. **

**Sorry I've been long...senior year. ugh.**

**Christmas **

Duff opened his eyes. His sister was on top of him, shaking him and beaming like she was filled with rays of the dawning sun.

"Duffie! Duffie! Wake up! It's Christmas!"

He grinned, matching his sister's excitement. They both giggled as Duff pulled off the covers and slid off the bed. She followed him, and they both ran down the stairs.

The parlor was decorated with a large tree, and dozens and dozens of candles, which filled the room with a warm scent of spice. Will was already up, running around the castle, flailing his arms about, yelling like a maniac. Pa yelled at him to sit still and he obeyed.

Duff and Carol came down the steps and joined their older brother on the floor. The three Killigan children sat patiently, their eyes gleaming with hope and expectancy.

"PRESSAAAHHHNNNTSSS!" Will roared obnoxiously. Duff rolled his eyes and Carol snickered in response.

"Be patient, William." Belle cooed. She smiled, as if her smile could promise, and her promise would not be broken. Her hand touched her son's shoulder, and her eyes glimmered like the Loch Fyne did, shining like the color of dusk. Pa came in the room, holding a glass of whiskey.

"Where's Gram?" Duff asked his parents.

"Gram is sick." Belle said. "Nae worries, jist a wee cold eh'm sure." Her voice had clarity in it.

"But we should all celebrate Christmas tegether!" Carol sang, standing up, about to fetch her grandmother.

Will forced her back down by pulling her.

"WEH WANT PRESSEHHHNNNTSSS!" He roared, again. Belle smiled, innocently. She disappeared behind the immense Pine and brought back three items, each dressed in its own collection of newspaper. Belle handed each of her children gifts, hoping with her heart they did nothing but love them.

"Will, Duff," she said. "Pa helped meh choose yer gifts…he said he knows whut boys like ye would want."

The sounds that escaped Duff's mother's mouth were not words. Had she just said that Pa assisted in the gift-picking? Even though Duff was but six years old, something was ringing to him that this wasn't a good sign.

Will charged all his energy against the paper surrounding his Christmas present.

"What'd tha' peper e'er deh te ye, brer?" Duff asked.

"Shut it!" Will snapped, as he tore away the remains. Lying in his hands was a gorgeous toy truck. It wasn't shiny new, but nothing that ever came to the castle was. Will beamed and once again resumed to running around the house like an overexcited maniac. Duff smiled when he had seen Will's gift—it was a nice one. He couldn't wait to see what his was.

He looked over to his 4 year old sister. She held a small wrapped present, waiting patiently.

"Go 'head an' open yers nae, Carol." Duff offered.

She smiled in generosity. Slowly and carefully, like the angel she was, she opened her gift. Her grin extended as far as it could go when she saw and held the doll before her. The doll was beautiful in every way, just like her owner. Carol hugged it and smiled. She looked to her parents.

"Thank ye Ma, Pa!" she giggled.

Belle smiled. Allan nod his head.

Carol looked to Duff now. "Yer turn, brer!"

Duff laughed a little and looked at his mystery item. He shook it…he weighed it. It was a thick rectangular shape, and it was heavy. Heavy was usually a good sign. Heavy usually meant expensive. What was it? What could it have been?

He tore the paper away little by little, as if too scared to see. But finally he got the courage and just ripped it all away, and stared face to face with a dark brown cover.

…

"Well…dye like eh, Duff?" his mother asked. "Yer Pa said ye'd love eh!"

Duff blinked. He couldn't even figure out what it was. He turned it, and saw ridges of paper. It was a book. He's seen those before.

He opened up the book. He looked at what was written:

"_Hure, Hure, ich finden Sie unter den wichtigsten, ich werde kommen und versuchen Sie, was Sie zu schützen, und Projektierung, was Sie am Ende und so ..."_

Huh?

"Huh." Pa said. "Tis eh textbook fro' tha' country 'er seas called Germany, Duffieh. Ye've always teken an' interes' in learnin' an' stuff. Thought ye'd like te learn fer Christmas."

Duff looked up to his father. He could see no warmth whatsoever in his eyes. It was a ruse. It must have been. Duff couldn't understand a word inside that book. Of course he loved to learn…but…

Duff's train of thought was cut off my his brer's obnoxious sounds across the castle, flying his toy truck around.

'_Eh want eh truck too…' _he thought. He looked at Carol hugging her doll. He'd even like to have a doll rather than a German "textbook", whatever that was. Must have something to do with books, since it had the word in it, and learning. But…Duff didn't understand it. He looked back inside it again and…not one word he could identify as a part of his own Scots language.

Carol…she was almost clairvoyant. She got up and walked over to her brer and gave him a warm, comforting hug. Maybe it was in the spirit of Christmas, or maybe she could sense his disappointment. But despite the reason, 6 year old Duff Killigan needed that hug.

As Ma and Pa retreated into the kitchen, Carol pulled away and looked at Duff, and smiled. "Let's goh see Gram an' wish er eh Merry Christmas!" she offered. Duff nod and ran with her down the hall.

When they entered the room, Cathella Killigan was sitting before her bureau, looking at her reflection in the mirror. When she heard her door open, she looked down at the two children who walked in and smirked. She turned to them, welcoming them. She indeed looked ill.

"Mama said ye have eh cold, Gram." Carol said, climbing up onto her Grandmother's lap. Duff sat on the floor, but Gram picked him up and lay him on her lap as well.

"Aye, jus' eh wee bit sick tha's all. Noti'n te worry abou'. Within time, eh'll beh all better nae." She reassured. Carol smiled, and then looked to Duff. He gave her a weak smile back. All that came to mind was,

'_Eh want eh toy too…'_

Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Belle and Allan argued:

"Allan, she ain' fine! She's yer Ma! She needs te beh taken te te mainlan'! Ye an' eh ain' certified te take care eh er!" Belle pleaded. She seemed to be begging rather than arguing.

"She's fine! Jus' like ye said, Belle! Eh cold! Tis naetin' else!" Allan roared in response.

"Weh both know tha' ain' true! Eh love Cathella an' ye do too! She needs te beh taken te te mainland…te eh hospital!"

Duff and Carol retreated back to the parlor after visiting their Grandmother. They were looking for Will when they heard the yelling.

"Ehm nae takin' er te no hospital! Ye KNOW weh cannae go te te mainlan'! An' ye think yer carin fer te fam? Te kids cannae go ther, who knows whut te folks will sae! Te know ther is eh new generation eh Killigans?"

Belle shushed her husband. "Eh didn' sae anyting abou' te children…ye take Cathella. Take eh boat an' get te te nearest hospital…"

Allan narrowed his eyes. He didn't like his wife telling him to be quiet. He didn't like it one bit.

"Don' beh tellin meh whut te do! She's fine! Notin' eh wee bit rest an' medicine can do! Notin' weh cannae fix erselves!"

Duff and Carol listened to the argument, secretly. They could hear how heated their father was being toward their mother. They caught on that something wasn't right with Gram after all. What they didn't understand, though, was why they could never go to the mainland—Scotland.

Duff watched his brer Will make another round about the castle, roaring again like a maniac and waving around his truck. Why did Will get a truck? Why did Carol get a doll? And why did he get something his Pa knew he couldn't use?

'_Eh want te be loved too…'_

They continued to listen to the argument...it ended soon with Pa making his last stand. Belle hurried upstairs so the kids couldn't look at her. Pa had his way, as always, and took care of Gram the way one would usually take care of a common illness, from what he predicted it was anyway.

Except, the illness wasn't common. Not a chance.

Gram was gone within a week.


	5. Robo

Robo-Duff

_I've always wondered why Duff Killigan became a robot in the movie Kim Possible: A Sitch in Time. Well, I decided to make something up on my own! Hope ye like my interpretation! This was inspired and based on the chapter 'No Time' from the original 'Work in Progress' story for Dr. Drakken._

'_So tis is whut happens when ye work wit other villains.' _He thought. _'Ones like monkey boy, blue boy an' Shego, te be precise.'_

Well, he already _knew_ that working with Drakken and Shego weren't good experiences…he knew that from two instances: the time he sold Drakken the Centurian Project, and the time Drakken hired him for help when his sidekick Shego got sick. He needed his help to fumble with some ray thingie.

Monkey Fist, however, he had confidence in. _Maybe_, just _maybe _with him, he thought the calm, serious lad could actually hold things together. But he realized now he should have backed out earlier…he could see the signs as early as when the two of them were struggling with the Possible lassie in the Middleton Museum of Natural History.

'_And we were __so __close too!_' he thought. But now, he, monkey boy, and blue boy were being cuffed by the police and being led to the dreadful van. _'Ugh.'_

The three villains walked out of the Paisley mansion and he could see the Possible lassie and her past self talking about something. A few feet away, the lassie's dipit and _his _past self were talking too. He felt _miserable_, worthless, and a like such a failure. He felt like the pathetic, sad wee laddie he was not too long ago, when Drakken pointed that juvenile machine at him, whatever it was.

Mr. Paisley, the rich laddie who was obsessed with those plush toys, looked at the three villains with disgust. "Officers, take them away!" he said.

He, along with his comrades, looked to the billionaire with extreme horror on their faces.

"But you can't leave us here in the past!" Monkey boy shouted.

"Aye! We'll face years of déjà vu!" The Scottish golfer cried. Just to think of how horrid it would be to live life almost ten years in the past…it made him shiver.

Drakken almost read Duff's mind by shouting, "This will throw the time stream into chaos!"

The police officer handling Drakken simply rolled his eyes and said "Yeah, like I haven't heard _that _one before…"

Duff was agape upon hearing that. Were the three of them _really _going to relive the past in prison?

The officers led the three villains into the van. Duff sighed and looked at his boots.

'_Aye…eh guess tis is whut ye get fer bein' eh villain yerself!'_

As he and the rest of his allies were getting into the van, they all heard a familiar voice…it was Shego. They had forgotten all about her.

"Hmm…going to prison sure sounds like a waste of time…of course, with this I can waste _all _the time I want!" she said. She held the time monkey, and was standing a few feet away from the van. She wasn't captured by an officer, or anything. How had she managed to get a hold of that thing? How did she manage to escape the grasps of Kim Possible? What was going on?

"The time monkey!" Dr. Drakken and Kim shouted in unison. Both of them looked just as surprised as he was. Duff looked at Drakken and his idea of this being a secret plan between Drakken and Shego to betray him and Monkey Fist suddenly went away when he saw Drakken's expression.

"Later, losers!" Shego said. She used the time monkey to open a portal, and she passed through before anyone, including Kim, could stop her.

On the ride to jail, Duff, Monkey Fist and Dr. Drakken sat in the back of the van in silence. None of them could believe what had happened. Shego betrayed them…she took advantage and she won. They could feel it.

"Do you think she'll come back for us?" Drakken asked lowly, watching his grubby black boots, his tiny feet.

Monkey Fist groaned, and leaned against the side of the automobile. "Highly doubt it. She betrayed us…how and _why _on Earth would she come back for the fools who fell for her trap?"

Duff continued to look down at his shoes, like Dr. Drakken was. He started to get into his 'thinking' mode. Whenever he got in trouble…when he got caught by the cops and got sent to jail, he would always just randomly start thinking about things. Random things. He would question his life.

He was in the middle of thinking of a childhood memory with his grandmother when the van started glowing blue, and Shego stepped out of the portal.

Duff, Monkey Fist and Dr. Drakken all looked up in utter amazement. It was Shego all right…except, she looked different. Her hair had some grey in it, she looked older, and she was wearing a cape. It took Duff a few minutes to figure out that it was Shego from the future. She had the time monkey in her hands.

"Hello, boys." She said. "Miss me?"

Monkey Fist spoke first. "…You we're gone long. We saw you about ten minutes ago."

Future Shego made a face. "….oh. Well, whatever. I'm uh…here to break you all out. Help you escape."

Dr. Drakken leapt from his seat and beamed like a kid at the butcher (That was, in fact, where they sold all the haggis).

"Really? Oh, Shego I knew you would come back! I just knew it!"

Future Shego made another face. "Uh…yeah yeah." Her expression looked annoyed, which was the same as all the other times she talked with her boss. Duff wondered if she still worked for him in the future, and how things turned out.

"Here…" Future Shego gave all of the three villains some kind of neck ring. "Put these on. They're future…armor. They will protect you guys."

All of them put the rings around their neck, trusting her. Monkey Fist and Duff looked to each other, like they couldn't believe what was happening. They were expectant. They both looked at Drakken, who was giddy and on the edge of insane. They couldn't figure what was wrong with him…it looked like he was high on sugar, or drunk from excitement. Something was seriously wrong with him.

Shego led the three of them through the portal, one by one. The portal took them to future Middleton, which was now dark and structured. People walked around…no…marched around in groups, all of them wearing Shego's uniform. Air drones flew around, scanning and probing everything. The world was dark, and it was dictated by the one person they least expected.

"Oh…and by the way." The young woman they thought they knew spoke. "It isn't Shego anymore. It's 'The Supreme One"."

It's been a few weeks since Duff, Monkey Fist and Dr. Drakken were brought to the future to be _The Supreme One's _slaves. It only took them a few hours to realize they couldn't take off the neck rings, and it took them a few _more _hours to realize the neck rings weren't what The Supreme One told them they were…the rings were in fact torturing devices that shocked the wearer at her will.

Shego gave all of them positions to work for her. Dr. Drakken she had plans for…big plans. Duff and Monkey Fist didn't know exactly what was going on, but once, when Duff was passing by Drakken's room, he saw Shego bringing him something. She carried a paper bag and wondered what it was. He and Monkey Fist haven't seen Drakken much…the last they saw of him, he was telling them of all the things Shego was making him do…well…he was _complaining _of all the things she was making him do. They said she was forcing him to work out and go on this diet for some strange reason. He was complaining about not being able to eat junk food and everything.

That was the last Duff saw of him. Now, he wondered about his ally and what Shego made of him. Monkey Fist, on the other hand, Shego ordered to act as guards for the fortress…him and his monkey ninjas, of course. She allowed him to go back to the past (under supervision) to get them, and bring them to the future. He sees Monkey Fist regularly…they still try to remain friends as much as possible. During times when a fellow villain enslaves you and succeeds to take over the world, you need a friend.

Duff thought over everything on that matter…he went into thinking mode again. What made him turn into a villain? What made him get mixed up in a plot with a blue villain and his green sidekick, and a man obsessed with monkeys? What made him foolishly go along with a plan to take over the world with time travel, only to be deceived by a lass? These kinds of thoughts rolled around in his head…often he would think about his family, or his past. He would miss his castle and his dog and his daug…

"Killigan!" The Supreme One shouted, breaking his train of thought.

He looked up, and she was walking toward him. "Why are you standing around? Didn't I tell you to go to the robotics lab five minutes ago?"

The Supreme One didn't consider Duff to be much help in keeping her or her house of 'worship' and control safe. It hurt a bit for her not to think he was strong or skilled enough to be a guard…but once he saw the uniform Monkey Fist and his ninjas had to wear, he was more than happy to be assigned to something else. The Supreme One allowed him the most amazing privilege…he didn't need to wear the skin tight green and black jumpsuit…it was _not _flattering on him.

The Supreme One put him in charge of robotics and technological matters. He was good at robotics…he knew a lot about them and had quite an interest in them. He participated in building weapons, air drones, and all the sorts for The Supreme One. When he worked, he tried not to think of _who _he was doing it for…but he tried to escape and think of all the things he had to leave behind in the past. He missed his family so much…every day he thought of them. He hoped with all his heart he could see them again…he worked to the best of his ability, so maybe one day The Supreme One could reward him with a visit…just one visit…

That was all he needed.

Years passed by and The Supreme One ruled. He and Monkey Fist _finally _saw Drakken after so long…if it weren't for his blue skin, they would have never recognized him. He was monstrous. Of all the things his ex-sidekick could have done to him, neither of them expected her to put him on steroids. But all in all, it was a good revenge…make _him _be _her _bodyguard…and obviously, normal skinny Drakken wouldn't have made the cut.

What really appalled them was how willing he was in protecting her. Duff never said anything…but he thought deep down, Drakken had some kind of love for her. He must have considered her family, like a sister of some sort. It was almost heartwarming, in a corrupted, sick, twisted way. '_What eh nice fam! She drugs him an' he still loves 'er! Splendid!'_

Over the years of getting used to his new life, he had no choice but to forget his past. He wasn't Duff Killigan, the world's most dangerous golfer anymore. He was a slave. He was a pawn, a pathetic fool who worked for an all mighty dictator. He was _nothing_. He had no purpose…no reason to live. He would have hung himself a long time ago, but something kept him alive. He often tried to wonder what it was, but no matter how hard he tried he was never able to realize that the hope he still kept for seeing his family was the reason he lived. He never would have believed that the past kept him striving. The past…the good ol' days lingered in his unconscious…he often dreamt of big, medieval castles and Scottish children and people he recognized but could not name. It baffled him.

But one day, something changed.

He was working in the robotics lab, and he was so caught up in…well…nothing. His mind was wandering to space…he wasn't thinking, or paying attention to what he was doing. He was doing that a lot lately, but he never even considered that it would bring harm to him. He never would have thought that his lack of paying attention would cause him to blow up the robotics lab, and blowing up his own body in the process.

When The Supreme One rushed to the laboratory, she was able to find all the robotics experts dead…all but Duff. He was unconscious and dying quickly. Several of his limbs were scattered across the lab, and his blood was pouring everywhere. His head was mainly intact despite several gashes and burns, but his body was almost completely ruined. She figured she might as well spare his life…he was an old ally, and he was smart and still useful. '_So what if he goes through suffering? He lives to work for me…and that is what he will continue to do.' _She thought.

She was grossed out by the bloody scene…so she sent for some henchmen to bring what was left of the man to the medical wing. The Supreme One was smart…she had an idea…she knew how to keep him highly functional for her use. First, her doctors saved his life. That was the first step. Then, she transported him to the technical wing, and they got to work on the new and improved Duff Killigan.

It didn't matter what caused the explosion…it was literally nothing that was on his mind, and it was nearly an accident. But none of that mattered. When Duff opened his eyes, he was appalled to find out that he wasn't sent to Hell after all…he was still alive. He couldn't remember a thing at first, but with some reassuring yet confusing words from The Supreme One, he slowly started remembering what had happened to him. He couldn't believe his ears…he was saved. He wasn't dead yet. He was saved…

He remembered Monkey Fist and Dr. Drakken in the room when he first woke up. He could remember their faces…he couldn't pinpoint their expressions but it was some mixture of sadness and pity and grief and disbelief…he didn't understand. He got that they would have been sad for him, since he almost died, but he didn't understand why they looked as they did.

And then, it hit him like a rushing flood of enlightenment. He was hit by an explosion…he tried picturing the scene and the possibilities of it. He couldn't have survived something like that….at least, he couldn't have remained the same as he was, perfect and faultless (sort of) as he was.

Then it suddenly came to him that he couldn't feel….and there was a random glare in front of him, almost like he was looking through a window.

And then Drakken brought him a mirror.

'_Power, power, power!' _

It felt sensational. They couldn't last another minute against him…he was indestructible. It was three against one, and yet he was winning. _He _was _winning. _All that was visible in front of him was the fire, the smoke, the colorful blasts from the explosions. All that he could hear were the loud, consistent BOOMS and his maniacal laughter.

There was no feeling that was ever able to compare with how he felt. The power was so uplifting…seeing all the destruction he was creating just made him feel prideful, powerful, almost like _he _was The Supreme One. Ha!

Before he felt like he was nobody…but he was a somebody again. He went from being Duff Killigan, world's most dangerous golfer, to nothing, to Duff Killigan, world's most deadliest golfing cyborg. It was a bit of a mouthful, but it was unique and that was what mattered.

He didn't care he needed to work for some green lass who had her nose so high in the air she needed an oxygen mask. He had so many advantages and benefits in his life…he still got to wear his traditional Killigan tartan, he had immense power from his cyborg anatomy, and for once in his life he actually felt good about himself. He felt strong. He could feel his void being filled up, if only slightly. Something of course still lingered in him…but he ignored it. Again, no feeling was ever able to compare to how he felt. Right? Well, none that he could think of.

Life wasn't his, no…but life was good. Strangely, outlandishly good…..at least for the time being.

Or, realistically, for the time he had left.

A/N: I've been gone for so long…hope this is good. I'm trying to get back to my writing and hopefully I'll have more on the way, soon.


	6. Bessie

Bessie

He hated his brother with a fiery, burning passion. He hated him more than anyone, and anything. But right now, there was one person he hated more than his brother.

Himself.

How could he let this happen? He screwed up, sure…but holding a newborn in your hands while the mother walks off with no intention of coming back can really make you blame no one but yourself.

He looked down at the tiny, baby girl in his arms with pain in his eyes. He's never seen anything so….so…._tiny_. How can a human be that small, ever? She looked so delicate, and…pure. He felt like he was looking down at a miniature angel. If he had ever seen beauty, this was the most beautiful thing. And it sounds corny to him, when he goes over it in his head. Everyone says that about every newborn….but now, he was able to see how true it really was.

The child's mother…she had left so abruptly it didn't even give Duff time to think. She had the baby, made him promise to never speak of this matter again, and left. She didn't care…not about a name, or anything. She gave her purpose and was off.

How was he to explain this to his family? It was a complicated plan…she would go back to her husband, pretending to be back from her "schooling" in the Highlands, and some time later after hiding, Duff will announce of the child's existence, claiming it was from an ex or something. Sure…that worked.

He looked down at the unnamed baby girl. She was not a day old and already her future brought trouble, shame, and secrets…heck, her father was a villain. How could he bring that upon her?

"Bessie..." he mumbled. The name seemed to fit right. It simply came to him…she looked like a Bessie. It was a beautiful name…he kept repeating it, his voice getting lower each time. "Bessie…Bessie…"

He kissed his daughter's forehead. He had some things to change.

_About 9 months earlier_

He hated his brother with a fiery, burning passion. He hated him more than anyone, and anything. He couldn't _stand _him…everything William Killigan did was in spite to piss Duff off somehow. What was his problem? He had such the _perfect _life…at least, Allan thought so. He married Mary just recently, which could have been foretold more than a decade ago. He got a job with his own business, finally moved out of the castle and bought his own home on the mainland…what wasn't perfect? And he just wouldn't stop _boasting _about how he and Mary were trying for kids and how they plan on having dozens. Duff was disgusted with the fact of being an uncle. Not only did it make him sound old (he was only 23 for crying out loud!), but he couldn't imagine bearing to see offspring of his brother, whom he hates, every reunion. But considering Will has been claiming the coming of children for months now, Duff figured there must have been something 'wrong' with whatever it is they're doing. And the thought of _that _made him cringe with disgust.

Mary, Will's wife, was a nice, but shy lassie…Duff didn't talk to her very much but he remembered her from his childhood. She was their family friend. She would play with Duff and Carol, and especially Will when they were younger. While Will and Mary's marriage was practically _determined _at such a young age, poor naïve Duff was jealous of his brother and formed a slight crush on the lass. He was young and didn't mean to have any feelings like that…but Mary, along with Carol, was really the only kid he knew of that was actually _nice _to him and didn't tease him or hurt him in some way. And he respected that, always. From all he knew Mary was simply a nice girl, and now she was a nice woman. Pretty too…strong hazel eyes, quite tanned skin (for a Scottish woman) and ashy blonde hair….Will was a lucky guy.

Duff went over these last few thoughts in his head when he, Carol, Will and Mary were all sitting in the castle parlor. Duff could tell that Will and Mary were distancing themselves from each other. Were they fighting? Probably…it's quite easy to get in a fight with a jerk like William Killigan.

Carol was talking about something…Duff wasn't really paying attention. He loved the sound of her voice, but sometimes the goodness that came out of her mouth he just couldn't comprehend. She may have been talking of a book, or a meal or something. She just looked so sweet when she talked.

Duff caught a glimpse of Will rolling his eyes. Of course he would…he always did that kind of thing. Mary caught a glimpse of that too…she looked away to the floor, thinking over how she felt about her husband.

As Carol talked, she eventually got to some point where she was going to carry out something and needed and or desired company. Will got up, odd enough, and went with her. Duff and Mary were left in the room. They made eye contact.

The two talked, barely, but it was enough.

This was one instance of many, over time, in which Duff and Mary conversed. Whenever they would see each other it was small, casual talk; nothing important, and nothing deep.

One night, however, they had more than just a simple talk.

Mary came over to the castle, without Will. She knocked on the door frantically. Carol had been in the kitchen, cooking, and Duff was sitting at the table talking with her and helping out. When they heard the door they gave each other puzzled looks and Carol walked out of the kitchen, to the large wooden doors and opened them. In the dark night she could see Mary's figure, shaking from anger, fear, and sadness. With a caring attitude she brought her inside to sit down by the fire. She asked Duff to get some blankets and a cup of tea and he obeyed.

"Mary….Mary dear whut happened?" Carol asked, stroking her hair. Duff came to them and draped the flannel tartan blanket over Mary, and set the tea by her. He sat down by the two young women and listened intently. He expected something juicy.

Mary held her face and cried, and choked out the words. "Will…he h-hit meh….weh got in eh big fight an' he h-hit meh real hard an'…" she wiped her face and couldn't even finish the sentence. Carol was awestruck with sadness for her sister-in-law and hugged her.

Duff rolled his eyes, scuffed, and mumbled to himself. "Well _ther's _eh surprise."

Mary continued, hugging Carol back and wiping the tears from her face. "Eh didn' know wher te go…but eh had te leave."

"Eh understand." Carol said. She hugged her again. "Well ye can stay te night 'ere. Ye can take meh bed if ye like an' eh'll take Will's."

Duff looked up, a bit startled. He and Carol shared a room.

"Thank you…" Mary said lowly. She sniffed and looked down. She felt the flannel blanket in between her fingers, staring through the Killigan tartan.

"Well, eh'll finish cookin' wit Duff an' we'll all get er things ready fer bed, aye?"

Mary looked up at Carol and smiled softly, and nod her head. "Aye, ok."

Carol smiled and walked with Duff back to the kitchen, while Mary warmed herself by the fire. When the two siblings got to the kitchen, Duff looked at his sister like she was crazy.

"Whut wer ye thinkin', givin' yer bed te her? Eh cannae share eh room wit Will's wife!" Duff shouted, just low enough so Mary wouldn't hear.

"Why nae?" Carol asked, completely clueless.

"Eh…..well…." Duff didn't really know himself. He blinked. Why _was _it such a problem? Maybe it was because he just didn't know her very well and didn't feel comfortable sharing the same room with her…yeah, that was it. He told this to Carol.

"Oh, it's nae too bad Duffaile. No' like yer in te same bed er anyting."

"Aye…" Duff sighed. He still wasn't completely comfortable about it, but he knew he would be able to manage if he just slept as soon as he had the chance.

Carol reassured him that everything was going to be fine, and that she needed to sleep somewhere, and it most certainly wasn't going to be Will's bed. Carol cringed a bit, jokingly afraid of what she would find in his room. Duff offered to take her place, but she insisted she would be fine.

"Really, Carol…it'd be better if ye two lassie's shared eh room while eh had te single…"

Carol gave him a look. "Duff….if ther's one person eh know who wouldn't want te sleep in Will's bed it would be ye."

Duff looked down….that was most certainly true. He sighed and gave up, after offering he could just sleep on the couch in the parlor. But Carol was not someone to argue with about these things. She got that trait from their mother.

Carol helped Mary settle in the room and helped her like a mother would her child. Duff lay in his bed, across the room and watched. Carol promised she would be in Will's bedroom if she needed anything, and she (without her brother's consent) also said Duff was willing to help with anything as well. Mary thanked the both of them and Carol left the room. Duff gave Mary a blank look, then turned away from her in his bed and attempted to, and eventually fell asleep.

When Duff opened his eyes at 1:28 a.m. he had to take a few minutes to think about where he was and what woke him. He thought maybe he had a bad dream…but no, he didn't. He could feel hands on his side, shaking him.

He turned around. Mary was sitting on his bed, leaning over him. She kept her hands on him.

"I-I'm sorry fer wakin' ye, Duff…." She whispered.

Duff sat up and looked at her. "Whuts wrong?"

She looked down. "Eh couldn't sleep….eh wus goin' te ask if Carol could help meh relax eh bit but she's in Will's room an'…eh don' really feel like goin' near there…."

"Oh." Duff looked at her. She woke him up so she could help her fall asleep and comfort her? Duff predicted this situation wasn't going to end well….he wasn't necessarily someone who easily 'comforted' people.

"Um…dye...uh….want eh glass eh milk er sometin'?" he asked.

She looked up at him. "Please….that would be nice. Thank ye."

He yawned, nod his head, got up, left the room, and went downstairs. He opened the fridge, took out a glass, poured a glass of milk, and (out of the kindness of his heart) heat it up a little in the microwave. He went back upstairs to their room with the glass of warm milk.

She was still sitting on his bed. _'Why is she still sitting on meh bed…?'_ Duff thought.

He walked up to her and gave her the glass. She thanked him and drank it. He looked at her while she drank it. She looked down…then when she finished, she set the glass on Duff's bedside table and shyly looked up at him.

Duff looked at her then slowly sat down a bit awkwardly next to her.

The two sat like that for a few minutes, passing the awkward silence between them. Mary shivered a bit. She looked up at Duff. He looked over at her questioningly. She shivered again.

Duff saw she was shivering, and was cold. He got up, went to Carol's bed and got an extra blanket, and went back to his bed where Mary sat. He draped the blanket over her like he did before. She looked thankful, but also a bit…disappointed.

Duff looked at her a bit suspiciously. He wondered what was on her mind. He sat down next to her on the bed again.

"So…ehm….how're ye feelin'?"

She didn't speak for some time. Duff _really _wondered what she was thinking now. He was just waiting…_begging_ for her to start telling him how horrible of a husband Will is.

Mary continued to look down. "Ehm….scared." was all she said. She looked up at Duff and shifted her body to face him. She reached her arms out and wrapped them around his torso, hugging him. Duff was a bit shocked at first, and a bit uncomfortable, but eventually he put his arms around her as well and pat her back.

Mary had no intention of releasing from the hug…she remained in his arms, enjoying the comfort. She began comparing Duff and Will in her mind, while Duff slowly…very slowly became comfortable with the embrace as well. He and Mary had their arms about each other and relaxed in the hug for what seemed like a long time. Eventually Duff got a bit uncomfortable again from hugging her for so long. He brought his arms back and she looked at him.

Then, without Duff expecting it, she kissed him. It was a short kiss in reality, but it felt longer for the both of them. She lingered on his lips and Duff became very, very confused.

He pulled back and looked at her. "Whut wus tha' fer?"

She looked at him with sadness in her eyes. Duff seemed to fall in her gaze. Her eyes were like portals to another world he wished he could understand. She spoke softly and delicately. "…yer nae Will….nuthin' like him ah all…"

"Err….ehm aware o' tha…" he didn't understand where this was going.

She touched his shoulder. "Eh hate 'em…" she whispered. She looked like she was hurt to even think about Will.

"Eh hate ehm too….always did." Duff mumbled, more to himself than her. Did Mary…God forbid _like _him? Why else would she kiss him? She was mad at his brother, her husband…maybe she needed to vent? It felt weird, kissing Mary. It was like kissing…well…frankly it was like kissing your sister-in-law.

"Um…" Duff mumbled. He didn't know what to say, but he noticed she was still touching him. He didn't know what to feel. He was confused, and felt awkward, but at the same time he felt good that Mary realized _finally _that Will was a jerk. He suddenly remembered all the times when he would think of Mary and _how _he thought of her.

Mary looked up at him, into his eyes. She tried searching for something in them. Duff looked at her and spoke again.

"Ye hate Will, eh hate Will…." He shrugged. "So ehm…"

He didn't get to finish his sentence. She kissed him again.

This was how the affair started.

It lasted for weeks. In the beginning Duff didn't know what to make of it. He was eventually convinced that Mary liked him…and he accepted it. He used Will as the excuse…they both hated him and had the affair because of him. He was the focal point. Duff did it in spite of his brother, and Mary did it for the comfort and escape from her husband. They started out seeing each other privately. Mary would come over late to the castle, to talk to Carol and Duff…and once Carol went to bed, Duff and Mary said they would take a "walk" around the castle before bed, which they did.

They would also find a room in the castle to lock themselves in, and they would…_talk_ before actually sleeping.

First it started out just kissing. They took it slow…but gradually, over the weeks, they became more intimate and eventually, they hit home run.

After this point nothing stopped them from seeing each other and using the other for intimacy. Duff didn't worry about a thing, and took the situations with ease. The two of them weren't careful, and it honestly shocked the both of them when Mary got pregnant.

When she told him, when they were alone one night, Duff didn't believe her. He couldn't. How was it that she can get pregnant with _his child _and not Will's? He didn't understand it. He never considered the possibility that he would get his brother's wife pregnant. The first thing that came to mind was abortion. The word spitted out his mouth before he could think. He _couldn't _think. It wasn't real. It wasn't happened. He was in a dream.

The dream only got deeper when Mary said she did not believe in abortions. Duff was unable to wake up when she said she wanted to keep the baby.

Will could never find out…that was a must. Mary wooed him and convinced him to keep the baby _with _her. He argued…he brought up Will. She said he didn't matter. He wasn't important. She said she wanted him….she wanted to raise a child with _him _and be with _him. _She claimed she loved him…and Duff fell under her spell.

He came up with a plan…she would tell Will and the rest of the family she was going to school in the Highlands for several months. Will wasn't very happy about this, but she eventually enticed him to agree. She had that seducing power.

Duff hid her in the castle during her entire pregnancy, and studied medical and took care of her himself. Mary was thankful and caring with him. She comforted him and told him things he wished to hear. She was kind, and loving. He fell deeper, and deeper under her enchantment. He loved her. He made plans for a wedding when the baby was born. Within time Duff was able to find out that the baby would be female, and the thought of having a daughter brought tears to his eyes. For once in his life, he felt happy. He didn't mind stealing his brother's wife…he _hated _Will. No harm to him would ever be able to bounce back. He knew Will could never hurt him, or betray him. He has already gone so low.

But he never expected Mary to be the one who would betray him.

Her due date came along, and Duff delivered his own daughter himself. They were hidden deep in the castle, and no worries came to Duff's mind. He had his fiancé, and his daughter, and that's all he needed. He was in love with a kind, caring woman who made him feel so happy, and he loved his baby girl as well.

Mary lay down on the bed, relaxing, while Duff held the baby girl in his arms. He cleaned her off professionally, bundled her up and took her to Mary. He looked in Mary's eyes to see the beauty in them—the beauty of motherhood, as he handed over the child.

But she refused to hold the girl, shooing him away.

Duff looked confused and didn't realize the sign. When he asked what was wrong, she said she was tired. So he sat down with his precious angel and held her himself.

Mary fell asleep, and Duff took care of the baby in the few hours she was out. He didn't want to wake Mary, but he could tell the baby was getting hungry. But when the time came when Mary woke up, he couldn't even get a word out of his mouth before she got up from the bed, cleaned herself up, changed, and hastily looked like she was ready to go out.

Duff stopped her. He told her she needed to feed the unnamed girl. He brought up the subject of a name, but she said she didn't care. This struck him as the invisible second sign.

He told her she couldn't leave right away…he didn't know _where _she had to go, but she had a baby to look after with him. He was confused, and naïve, and didn't get it. All the things she did—the packing, the ignorance…it never struck him what she intended to do.

Then, she finally broke his heart with only a few, simple words.

"Don't eveh tell William." She said, in almost a threatening tone of voice. Duff believed they didn't need to worry about Will…he thought he was out of the picture.

"No one…an' never speak o' tis wit meh ehgain…tha' child is nae mine, an' ye are nae te father o' nae child eh mine."

She continued to speak like this, in threatening tones. The words just went through Duff's head—in one ear, and out the other. He just didn't understand. He held his…_their _daughter the entire time, and didn't understand.

She made him swear not to tell a soul the truth. She told him to make up a good excuse for the girl's existence…she told him to claim the child was brought to him from an ex of his, or simply one of the many women he hooked up with. She said that was a likely story, and very predictable of him. She said she was surprised that never actually happened. She hurt his feelings.

Then she left as simple as that. And Duff woke from his dream, and realized what happened. He realized what he held in his arms, and what he now was, and what Mary was. He realized who he fell for and what that made him.

He held his _daughter_. He was a _father. _Mary fooled him and he fell for it. He was stupid, and naïve, and felt like dying. But he looked down at Bessie and smiled…he had to be strong for her. He had to live on for her. He was all she had now…there was no one else. She slept peacefully in his arms, and when he looked at her, at first he thought of the shame he had brought upon her. But he knew he would do _everything _in his power to love her and raise her well. She was a Killigan, after all. And a Killigan is strong, willing….

Duff knew in his heart she would turn out to be everything he wasn't.

A/N: Comments please!


	7. Heirloom

**Heirloom **

Marriage...

It was a beautiful thing to witness the connection and honor and commitment two people give to each other. Little Duffaile Killigan never witnessed such a ceremony, but he often dreamt of it. His parents, Allan and Belle Killigan, didn't love each other all the time they were together—Allan would often yell at his mother, or hit her, and they would fight over numerous things. Duff never really saw any love between them. It was a rare thing to see Allan and Belle kiss, or hug. And when they did, it didn't seem compassionate.

Duffaile didn't think much about the facts of their relationship, but thought in a different manner. He thought of the commitment they had towards each other…no matter how angry, or mad, or sad they were with each other, they never gave up on the other, or their family, and they endured all the hardships they had. Duff admired that loyalty. He always did, for the several years growing up among his family. When Duff turned sixteen, he and his older brother William were given very special heirlooms by their father: wedding rings.

William got Belle's wedding ring to give to whomever he wanted to marry in the near future, and Duffaile was given Cathella's wedding ring. Allan, Duff and Will's father, told them it was in Belle and Cathella's wills to give their rings to the Killigan sons. Cathella wanted Duff to have hers, because even though she passed when Duff was only 6, she could tell he loved the Killigan heritage and culture. And Belle simply wanted to hand down her ring to whichever son married first, and she figured that would be the oldest, her son William.

Duff often fantasized about his wife. He had great hope for finding love one day. Part of that had to do with the fact that he lacked love and compassion in his life, except for his dear sister Carol. She was the only one who loved him in his life. Duff's mother, Belle, and his grandmother, Cathella, loved him too, but they weren't around anymore. Besides Carol, Duff wanted a woman in his life whom he could give his heart to, and who would give their heart to him in return. Sometimes he tried to imagine her face. Often he would picture a beautiful woman with blue eyes and long blonde hair, and other days he would picture her with green eyes and black hair. Many combinations entered his mind, and the possibilities killed him. He wanted to know her name, her face, her smell, her everything…his future wife, that is.

At such a young age Duff promised himself that he would treat his wife with such care and passion, unlike his father used to treat his mother. He never wanted to fight with someone he loved, and he doubted he will. Duff _never _fought with Carol, and he was also very passive anyway. When Duff was picked on, he just tried to ignore the hurtful words and turn the other cheek. Usually that got him smacked, but his mother taught him well to be the kind one in the family. Allan tried to influence his hate on all of his children, and he got to William very easily. But Belle got her word through to Duff and Carol, leaving them to be peaceful, innocent, polite, passive children.

Duff thought about Will and his possibility of finding a wife. He thought it was _impossible _for someone as crude as his brother to charm a young lady. He was completely shocked when Will started dating Mary, the Killigan children's childhood friend. Carol kept telling Duff she expected they would have a relationship—she was smart, and was always able to detect things as they came. Will and Mary were quite close when growing up, but Duff couldn't let himself believe a girl like Mary would fall for a guy like Will. Mary was beautiful and shy, quiet….William was just….a complete and utter disaster! Okay, so maybe Will had looks. He was tall, and had muscle, unlike Duff, who was rather on the short side and a _tad _overweight. Duff criticized his looks all too much—he would look in the mirror and disapprove of his eyes, his nose, his teeth, his hair, his body, and everything in between. Duff thought he would _never _attract a woman, looking as he did, but he kept trying to remind himself that the perfect woman would accept him just the way he was.

As a young boy on the search for love, Duffaile was completely lost. He didn't even know how to say 'hello' to a woman without stuttering. He was a shy boy to anyone he didn't know _and _to everyone he _did _know, but with women it was like he was just plain stupid. Carol tried to teach him, tried to help him, but it was no use. Duff watched his brother, and tried to see how he approached women, but it disgusted Duff to think he would ever act like his brother. Will used pick-up lines and flattered women in unflattering ways. The fact that Duff had an _opinion _about that made Will laugh. _"Brer,"_ he would say. _"It don' matter what ye say te the woman…whut matters is tha' ye do everythin' ye can te get her te come home!"_

William went as far as calling Duff a feminist and, eventually, a homosexual. Just because he wanted to give women respect didn't mean anything besides the fact that he was a gentleman! But in a house with William and _especially _Allan, who was more than disappointed by the fact that his measly son never in his life _talked _to a woman besides a Killigan, and, at the age of 16 was still a complete and utter virgin.

Besides his reputation with the opposite gender, Duffaile still liked to hope that one day the ring he held in his hand would be on a lovely, long finger. He hoped, no…_begged _that fate would bring him someone. He needed someone. He couldn't take it anymore. After 16 years of living in his dreadful, abusive home he needed love. All he had left was Carol, and if she left he….well he didn't want to even think of that. If she left, it was almost a promise that he would go insane. He needed someone to be there for him. He needed to get out of his home and start a new family and leave his past behind him. It was what he wanted and prayed for every morning, noon, and night. He had to have hope, because if he didn't, he had nothing. And if he had nothing, there was no point in suffering anymore.


	8. Golf, part 2

**Golf, part 2**

_Another day at work…ugh._

He had already driven through to the employee and member parking lot, parked the car, and had gotten out. He waddled over to the trunk to get out his clubs and his balls and his tees and he scowled at the sight of them. His favorite club reminded him of last week…and of the incident. What is the world coming to when his favorite club makes him scowl?

Duff was twenty four and it was only a few months after Carol had died. Everything he looked with his eyes was hazy with a dark overcast. The day was cloudy, murky, and depressing. But even if the weather was sunny, warm and beautiful, Duff would say it was hot, muggy and sweaty. Nothing pleased him anymore. Not even golf…well, not completely.

Yes, Duff still loved golfing and he loved his job. He has been the golfing champion for six years in a row at all the national competitions. He was completely and utterly rich, but he never really spent any of the money. He had everything he already needed—he had his cherry red Scottish-made sports car, but other than that, there really wasn't much Duff wanted. He didn't need a big house (he already lived in a castle), he didn't want fancy things…actually, most of his money originally went towards gifts for Carol, but after a while she asked him to stop. She was too nice…she told him that it was _his _money, and that he should be buying gifts for _himself_.

Duff sighed. She was always looking out for him and he missed her so much.

After Carol had passed away, Duff snapped. He turned from being weak, wimpy, shy, quiet, respectful, truthful, and all around good to the complete opposite: he became violent, temperamental, insolent and rude (especially to women), and to summarize in two words, cold blooded. He took up a few new hobbies like smoking every and any illegal drug he could get his hands on, becoming an alcoholic, and visiting a Gentleman's Club every now and then. And, if he was _really _having a bad day, he would skip the Gentleman's Club and simply roam the streets looking for any woman that was willing and available. He never settled for anything less than his standard requirements—she had to be good, good-looking, and if he was satisfied by the end of the night, he gave the woman enough money where she would never have to roam the streets again.

Duff was almost thankful that it was such a long walk to reach the head facility of the Country Club. He used to be thankful because he would love to watch the scenery, but nowadays he doesn't even see the scenery anymore. Today, he was thankful because he dreaded facing Callum and anyone else after last week.

And what happened last week, you may ask? Well…after Carol passed away, as was said, Duff became very violent. And last week, during a game between him and another golfer, Lyon Forest, Duff got somewhat heated.

Lyon was the closest to competition Duff had. Duff had been on top of years, and slowly Lyon had been increasing his stats to get dangerously close to where Duff was. The media was certainly Lyon-friendly—he would go out often and brag about his reputation, a game he was sure to win, or his new girlfriends. He was unlike Duff, who practically gave any and all cameras the middle finger and a gruff, annoyed mumble of wanting to be left alone for once in his life.

Ever since Lyon started to become competition, Duff had to 'oomph' his game to get better and better until he reached a point that Lyon wouldn't be able to come close. He did successfully get to that point, and Lyon just wasn't good enough to get any better, but it didn't rule him out second place. Duff didn't like Lyon, he didn't trust him, and almost every day he thought of the possibilities of how Lyon was trying to sabotage his career.

But last week, he never saw what was coming.

Duff and Lyon got in a fight. It started out simple (Duff didn't even remember how the fight started…then again, nowadays he never knows how any fights start, he tends to lose track since he starts fights quite often), but soon it got to the point where Duff was in Lyon's face, threatening him. And when Duff started threatening, that was a time to back off. No one wanted Duff to threaten them…no one.

Of course, Lyon didn't know this. He realized that Duff had become a violent man (and, after some researching, realized it was due to the death of his sister), but he didn't realize _how _violent. After Duff started threatening, and when Lyon didn't back off, that's when Duff started becoming physical.

'_It all happened so fast, too._' Duff thought as he walked. He played the scene over and over again in his mind—'_I went over to Darren, my caddy, I picked up a golf club from my bag, I didn't care which one…and I just started hitting Lyon with it. He shouted at me to stop, that I was being an idiot, but I couldn't stop. I aimed for his head and I could just feel myself becoming so willed that my goal was to see him fall. And when he would fall, I wouldn't have stopped there. I would have kept hitting him until I saw blood. I wanted that man dead, and if the guards hadn't pulled me away in time, I would have.'_

Duff wondered what would happen. He wasn't arrested or anything, even though Lyon did everything in his power to try and make that happen. The weekend was a disaster, combining the media, Lyon's agents, the police, and the guilt. What the hell had he done? He was almost sure this was going to be a huge scar on his career. He was a _celebrity_, for crying out loud. Celebrities can't get into these kinds of situations.

But, the more Duff thought about it, he could almost have sworn that Lyon had instigated him to start that fight. Lyon wanted to end Duff's career, so _he _could be the champion. After hearing that Duff had become a violent man, why not ruin his career by making a scene in which Duff attacked another golfer—especially one as popular as Lyon Forest? _And_, Lyon would have had the perfect story—Duff wanted to get rid of the competition. Duff was insane.

In the back of his mind, Duff kind of knew he was insane. But one, his conscious wouldn't allow him to acknowledge the fact, and two, he frankly didn't care. His was kept sane thanks to Carol. Now that she was gone, nothing held him back from being angry at a world that was cruel to him. Growing up, he lost everyone he ever cared about, and was abused inside his own home, _and _outside. Duff was teased, taunted, beaten, and criticized for everything he did. Carol was his light, but then, a few months ago, that light went out forever.

At first, Duff thought that Carol would have wanted him to keep it together. He thought that through all those years his sister was only trying to teach him how to be strong, and how to withstand the weight of the world. But he didn't care if that's what he wanted, or if that's what she was trying to do. Duff needed to live for once in his life, and he needed to let his emotions out. He was weak and let himself get beaten every day of his life. He used to cry all the time, which was pathetic. Now, a tear never shed from his face, and he got angry. Up went the brick wall, and it never, ever came down for no one.

Duff didn't care anymore about his job. After Carol died, nothing mattered anymore. He was too good to let his scores go down—he was still champion and nothing could sabotage that—but he always had this emptiness inside him. Golf felt like nothing to him anymore. He went to work, he practiced his swings, he discussed things with Callum, and he won a few games here and there. It was nothing.

In fact, instead of loving his job and enjoying every moment of it every minute of every day, he now had to face many feelings of evasion. When he walked through those familiar doors to the club's entrance, Callum nearly attacked him…but with some slight caution as to not end up like Lyon, who was still in treatment.

"Ye _idiot!_ Whut was tha' little stunt ye played las' Friday, eh? Ye practically _gave _Lyon te numba one _spot_! All te trophies ye'll ever win fro' today—oh no, they won' go te ye, they'll go te Lyon now! Te club is considerin' kickin' ye out because o' tha' fight! Listen, Duff…ye know eh understand, things 'ave been tough since whut happened eh few months ago…but ye've gone outteh control! Yer doin' drugs, yer drinkin' too much these days…ehm afraid tha' soon enough tha's goin' te start affectin' yer stats! Buh don' even _worry _abou' stats, _now _ye 'ave te worry about yer temper!"

Duff wouldn't look at Callum. He knew he was right. He shouldn't have done what he had done, but he couldn't help it. It wasn't the drugs, it wasn't the alcohol, and it was just that he was lashing out to anyone and everyone who would notice. He was in pain, he missed his sister.

"Look, Callum, we'll deal wit tis." Duff mumbled. "Every celebrity has their meltdown moment…te club won' kick meh out, an' if tey do, we'll find someone else. Lyon won' get te chance te beat me, especially fro' eh few attacks fro' te media."

Callum rolled his eyes. "Aye, Lyon won' beat ye, probably because every _bone _in his body tis practically _broken_, an' once he heals, he mos' likely won' be able te play golf as well as he used te! Duff, te lad's gonna sue ye like hell! Tis sport doesn' tolerate violence, lad! Why don' ye realize tha?"

At that comment, Duff spun around and started threatening his own agent. He truly couldn't control it anymore—anything will tick him off.

"AYE, eh realize tha' Callum! Wha, ye don' think eh know tis sport like te back o' meh hand?" Duff started poking Callum's chest. "Eh love tis sport more than ye could possibly imagine."

Callum tried to stay calm, and crossed his fingers secretly, hoping the next thing he said would calm Duff down a little.

"Aye, but ye loved Carol more, didn't ye."

Thankfully, that did calm him down. Callum _knew _that all of this was because of the passing.

"Look, lad…why don' ye take some time off…try te deal wit tis." He said softly and sympathetically.

"No!" Duff snapped. "Ehm fine." He insisted.

Callum sighed. "Alrigh', but ye have te at least _try _te control yer temper. If ye don', it'll mark te end o' yer career as eh golfer fer good."

Duff agreed. He promised he would control himself, even though he knew he couldn't. Duff couldn't help that he had become more of a failure than he had ever been. Before Carol's death, Duff only thought he was a failure because of how his terrible, abusive family mistreated him. In reality, he was a wonderful man. He just never got the chance to live outside of his suffering to realize it. Now, he couldn't even see that he turned into the monster his father and brother pushed him to be. Now, more than ever, he was controlled completely by them, when he thought he was rebelliously the opposite. Duff's life had been so hurtful, so unfair, but he never got the love and the kindness to make him see that he didn't deserve it. After Will, his terrible brother, got everything—the attention and acceptance from Allan, a steady job, a new home on the mainland of Scotland and away from the family castle, a beautiful but evil, blood-thirsty bitch of a wife who led Duff to become a single father, and, lastly and recently, a few devilish spawns.

Duff couldn't believe that Bessie was going to be two years old. It seemed like yesterday when his sister-in-law, whom he had an affair with, left him with a beautiful daughter. He knew absolutely nothing about babies. He had to handle taking care of her, which Carol helped him out with. If it weren't for her, he didn't know where Bessie would have gone. Duff confided in Carol—he told her the truth, about everything that had happened, and she listened. She didn't judge. She helped him create a lie to tell the family—Duff didn't seem like the adoption type, so they came up with a story of how he got a woman pregnant, one from off the streets, and one day she came to him and handed him the baby. It made Allan furious and respectful towards Duff at the same time, oddly.

After Carol died, things went up in smoke (literally, with the drugs), but he still had to hold it together at home for his daughter. He smoked, but he smoked outside. He drank, but he drank after she was asleep. He brought women home, but he did that out of her sight. He always cared about Bessie, but he still had to keep reminding himself to keep it together for her. After kicking his own father out of the castle with terrible threats, acting the way he did at home and screwing his career up, Duff had to pray that this wouldn't affect Bess. He loved her with all his heart, but sometimes he forgot.

After a few months, Duff's actions did indeed come back to bite him in the butt. Duff couldn't control himself, therefore he didn't stop the violence at his work. Eventually, he was banned from every single golf course in the world, including miniature golf courses. And, his rage didn't cease at home. Allan called child services on Duff, and they took his daughter away. He was becoming too much of a dangerous influence on her. Duff felt that the world truly had gained up on him, and he was being kicked and beaten while he was already down. Duff had no power, and that made him lose it.

Losing Carol made him cold at heart. Losing his daughter made him ruthlessly angry. Losing his career, immediately making Lyon the champion and him the laughing stock of the world, made him evil.

At this point in Duff's life, he began seeking revenge on the world. He lost it all, and he was through having to deal with the world's criticism. He wanted to murder Lyon Forest. Eventually, he did. Duff was becoming a villain, and he took his revenge out on his failed career. First Lyon was dead, then Callum, and so the chain began. He hated the world for banning him from that which he loved, and in return, he thought he would simply make the world his own personal golf course (starting with Japan, which was the first country to ban him after a championship incident). He also did some trading in the black market to start him off, and he searched for his solution to revenge for years in crime until he finally met a professor that would make his plans come true.

Duff lost his lover, his sister, his mother and grandmother, his career, and endlessly he lost his life. Who could blame him for wanting to take some power back? But Duff never met peace—only a redheaded cheerleader, who foiled his dreams, and a cold, mean, punishing place that felt like nothing compared to what he's been through. Eventually, inside prison Duff met a few freaks, including a man with blue skin who was bent on ruling the world (and was a bit loony, Duff thought), and an even more interesting man from England who seemed to be a mutated man whose genes were fused with that of a monkey. Jail soon met jailbreak, and the freaks from jail soon became allies, and even friends. Duff was a villain, but no crime ever filled the emptiness in his heart, that ultimately lacked love and compassion, which never stayed for long.


	9. Women

**Women**

"Ah nineteen years mah Pa forced meh te do sometin because he believed eh lacked…experience. He made meh do sometin' so violating." Duff told a friend of his, 12 years since the incident. She listened so intently.

"What did he make you do?" she asked gently, putting a hand on his. They sat on Duff's couch, turned to each other in deep conversation. The topic? Memory lane.

Duff didn't reply, but instead he looked away. He couldn't find the right words. He just couldn't say it. For once in the longest time, he couldn't get himself to speak up. Duff was staggered at how she made him feel so bottomless these last few weeks. She made him bring back feelings he thought he had hidden in his personal cave forever.

"Tell me what happened, Duff." She asked, squeezing his hand a little. He looked at her.

At 19 years old, Duff was living a pretty good life. He was rich, popular, and talented. To celebrate winning a National Golf Championship, he and a few golfing buddies went out for some drinks at a local bar. Whenever Duff would go to a bar, it was never anything special. In fact, he was somewhat bored at times due to the recurring tactics he endured. Not any different from any other night, Duff and his friends entered the establishment and sat down at the bar itself. Duff ordered a whiskey, and most of his friends ordered the same. A few, here and there, every so often, to spice the night up a little, would order a scotch or something different. Duff's buddies would light a few cigarettes, Duff would light a cigar, and he would watch as all the guys around him claim that they were going to approach a certain lassie and invite her for a drink or something. Bets were made, and as the night carried out some bets were won and some were lost. Often times, Duff and his friends were the ones being approached. A jolt of self-esteem, pride, and excitement ran through the young Scottish golfer whenever a woman started talking to him or tried to pick him up. With his career being solid and nearly perfect, the approaches were always an extra boost to his confidence. Duff grew up feeling sorry for himself, but for once in his life he was happy. He was happy to feel like women were actually interested in him. He grew up thinking the opposite. Though Duff felt going to the bar was too cyclical, he went because he enjoyed that boost.

Duff respected women. He was shy, and he was a gentleman. He was always polite, friendly, and never said anything violating. He took relationships slow, but never had a girlfriend. He was a complete and total virgin, which appalled many people when he told them. He never had sex, he never kissed a girl, and he's never even been on a date. Growing up, Duff's romantic life was nonexistent. So, the late nights he started having with his friends from golf were quite exciting. Being hit on gave Duff more than could possibly be said. It didn't just make him self-confident…it made him feel like he was beginning to live.

On this particular night of interest, Duff went home feeling rather good as he typically did. He took the boat from the mainland where he was dropped off back to his home island. It wasn't that far of a boat ride, though the transportation was enough to be tedious. Duff docked the boat, jogged up the lawn, put in his key to unlock the door, went in, closed and locked the door, and turned around to see his father sitting in a chair before him.

"Yer home late, lad." He grumbled with an unfriendly tone.

Duff paused and looked at his father, still holding the key. He was almost a bit afraid of replying. Especially in these situations, it was never a good sign. Something was up.

"Eh…didn't know eh had eh curfew." Duff mumbled innocently.

Allan stirred in his seat. "No, ye don'. Yer old enough te be out as late as ye want now."

Duff was surprised. Was his father actually…_respecting _his actions? Was Allan _allowing _him his freedom without putting up a fight?

Duff nod his head and tried walking away, but the conversation wasn't over yet. Allan spoke up again.

"Went to te bar again, did ye?"

Duff paused again and stopped walking. He stood still and didn't turn around. He nod his head.

Allan stood up from his chair and Duff heard. In response he gulped.

"Do some drinkin'…some flirtin'?"

Duff turned his head slightly. He felt his whole body was cold and stiff as cardboard. As soon as he nod his head again, Allan grabbed him and spun around. Duff felt like his heart nearly jumped out of his skull from the scare.

"Flirtin' aye, but nothin' else? Never anythin' else…yer nineteen Duffaile, an' nae once 'ave ye brought home eh lass te the fam!"

So _that's _what this was about.

"Oh jus' because eh haven' found eh lass ehm so fond of tha' makes meh social life an issue?" Duff said, acting a bit snippy. He regretted acting this way to his father immediately, for it made him angry. And Duff had enough experience to know never to make his father angry.

"Yer brer is gettin' married soon, an' eh've never even seen ye 'ave _any _interest in eh lass! Yer career isn' everythin'….ye need te find yerself eh wife!"

"_What_?" Duff was completely astounded. Where was this coming from? "Call meh old fashioned Pa, but ehm nae goin' te go out an _look _fer eh wife. Love will come teh meh when it comes teh meh. Ehm _content _where eh am righ' now. Eh don' need eh girlfriend, much less eh wife. An' its meh business, no need te meddle inte it!"

Why on Earth was he being so snippy to his father? And on the subject of _women_? On a subconscious level, all Duff could think about was how his father used to treat his mother with great disrespect. He grew up not wanting to be like his father…ever.

"Yer eh wimp, lad. Ye always 'ave been. So ye can hit some balls wit eh metal stick…tha' doesn' make ye eh man."

Duff took that insult deeply. He hadn't been called a wimp in a while.

"Oh an' whut does?"

"Eh woman."

Duff raised an eyebrow. "Eh woman? Eh don' understand."

Allan rolled his eyes. "Of course ye don'. Ye need eh woman who ye can control."

Oh, now he understood perfectly. Allan was lecturing him on how to treat a woman—a corrupted, disrespectful, terrible way filled with insults, arguments and the occasional physical abuse. 'Tough love' didn't even begin to describe Allan's ways. Duff knew the best way to handle this was to sit it through, nod and smile like he was actually taking in everything his father tried to teach him…but he resented every word.

"Ye need eh woman who ye can control. Ye need te be te boss in yer own fam. Te man is _always _te head of te household, but wit yer ways Duff ye'll probably be te one who is tossed aroun' by eh woman. Ye'll be te one doin' chores and cookin'…!"

Duff liked to cook, but he wasn't going to say that. "Well if eh don' 'ave eh woman ah all, eh'll sure te beh te boss of meh fam."

"Without eh lass, ehm still te boss o' tis fam, which still includes ye."

It was true that Duff didn't _require _a woman. Sure he's known some that he thought were very good looking and could be great girlfriends, but nothing really brought him to take anything that far. He has flirted, but that's it. Never took anything to even a date. Something was holding him back, but Duff didn't feel it as a threat. He wanted to focus on his career, and he was happy. He didn't want a woman to jeopardize that.

And only a few years ago Duff was daydreaming of his future wife. Why was he scared now? Something was going on inside his brain—something he didn't want himself to acknowledge. Maybe his father was right in some twisted way…maybe he needed to take something further. Maybe he needed a push.

Allan pointed a finger into his son's chest. "If ye cannae take matters inte yer own hands, eh'll do it for ye."

'_Blind date_' Duff immediately thought. His father was going to hook him up with someone. One of these days Allan was going to introduce him to a woman—perhaps the daughter of a friend, or a coworker, or a friend of a relative. A date would be set up, a nice conversation will flow, and after a few dates, if he liked her, maybe Duff will even have his first kiss. He kind of liked the idea and how it brought back his old daydreams and desires of finding the perfect match. Duff was a complete and utter romantic.

Duff was right about the 'hook up' part, but he got the details a bit wrong. The next night, Duff came home after a game to find his father again, standing this time, waiting for him. Duff approached him to the conversation, but he stopped when he also saw a woman in the room.

He never even got to know her name. She had long dark hair, and wore the most inappropriate outfit possible for a date. Duff had a bad idea about this.

"Duff, tis about time ye had some experience. About time ye grew up…be eh man."

Duff had a _really_ bad idea about this. Just by looking at this woman, Duff could tell who she was.

"She's paid fer te night." Allan said, as he got his jacket and took the boat keys from his son. "Don' waste it."

As Allan started to walk out the door, Duff began to stammer. "W-what?"

"Don' make meh stay te coach ye through tis. Go an' do whut ye should be doin'!" he said, and he finally left the castle.

Duff felt disgusted. Was this woman a….did his father hire a….how twisted was his father to associate being a man with this kind of…ugh! Duff felt like vomiting.

As Duff panicked mentally, the woman put a hand on his shoulder. Duff froze. He felt violated in the ways she began to touch him. Not like he could blame her, it was her job. And she was a good looking woman, though she wore the wrong outfits and way too much makeup. He didn't stop her from touching him, because he didn't know what to say. He was too shy to speak up, and too appalled from what his father had done to him to acknowledge what was going on.

It didn't take long before Duff stopped worrying about the situation and just accepted it. Even though Duff felt this was _completely _wrong and _way _too fast, he found himself going along with it. He began to run out of excuses, and eventually began to run out of energy to even think of excuses in the moment that he was in. The more he was touched physically, the more he felt relaxed from his thoughts. It made him feel sordid, but not even that stopped him.

With this attitude and by feeling in the moment with an excitement that had been hidden for a long time, through the hours Duff changed his manners completely and brought himself to full satisfaction. Subconsciously, Duff had a fear of falling in love and then getting his heart broken by losing his newly acquired loved one. He lost his grandmother and more importantly his mother at young ages. Duff was always a gentleman with women, but considering the fact that his father got him into the habit of hook-ups and one night stands, his manner began to change. Duff didn't want to admit at first that these instances were pleasurable, but eventually he came to terms with it. Add that concept to his fear of getting his heart broken, and Duff easily became more and more disrespectful to the female gender. No longer did he dream of having a wife and kids. In fact, he had a new desire of being single. Allan never succeeded in trying to get Duff to control a woman, though he did succeed in turning Duff into the same impertinent mannered womanizer he used to be.

Duff always pushed away the idea of a relationship, yes…but what Duff didn't know is that sometimes love can take one by surprise, when they least expect it. Sometimes we don't choose to fall in love, but we do anyway. Sometimes we don't want it, but we have no choice. This is what happened to Duff years later, and it truly felt amazing to be loved. For a long time, Duff actually believed that he was going to live happily ever after with his love, and his heart wasn't going to get broken this time.

He was mistaken.


	10. Pain

**Pain**

You have to wonder how someone can ever harm a child. Cute, chubby cheeks and innocent little voices, tiny hands that can hold the smallest of things and the sweet miniature shoes a toddler wears can just melt a heart.

However, to some people, children are sickening. Children ruin things, are the bane of their existence, and are just plain annoying. Some people aren't fooled by appearances and think of some children as spawns of the Devil. Some people don't care if a child is too young to know better, and they expect the same as if that child was an adult. There are those who love children, those who didn't mind children, and those who hated children.

Allan Killigan hated children. To be more specific, he hated his own children. To be even _more _specific, he hated Duff and Carol Killigan, but not his oldest child—his son William.

When Duff Killigan was six years old, he began to realize some things.

One: his father liked to spend his time around his older brother Will, and never with him or his sister.

Two: his father yelled a lot and constantly seemed to be thirsty for some reason. Duff almost always saw his father drinking, and he wondered why he was always so parched.

Three: Allan liked to yell, and didn't get along very nicely with Duff's mother, Belle. Duff heard lots of smashing sounds in the house along with his father's voice, but he was never around to see the violence. It usually went on in another room, and Belle was usually in the room too.

Duff was ignored by his father and so Duff stayed his distance, but seeing his older brother get attention made Duff feel jealous and sad. Granted he was picked on by Will too, he felt even worse. Belle, Carol, and Cathella, Duff's grandmother, made him feel better each time he felt down. They were always the ones giving him attention, but Duff still wanted to be loved by his daddy. Belle would remind him that Christmas was coming in a few weeks, and on that day everyone loves everyone. Duff couldn't wait. Cathella would encourage Duff to pray to the 'spirits' above, but Duff couldn't understand who these 'spirits' were, since he never met them before. He explored his upstairs several times, but couldn't ever find the 'spirits'. Carol would simply entertain him, and keep his mind off things for the most part. She would kiss and hug him and joke with him about the silliest of things and she was so lovely. So was Belle.

Six year old Duff admired his mother for her beauty and her grace. However, she wasn't always perfect. Sometimes Duff would see little red marks on her face and arms. Occasionally, he would see bigger red marks or bandages wrapped around her hands or arms or taped to her cheek or forehead. Duff was so curious and never really understood where they came from or what they were for, but slowly, Duff's mind began to piece together the facts and get the answer he wanted.

Allan.

The smashing, the yelling—all that violence was being directed towards his mother. And Duff didn't like that. He didn't like that at all. He loved his mother and he didn't want her to be hurt. He loved her so, so much and would do anything to protect her.

One day, Duff heard his father screaming throughout the castle. William, Duff and Carol were in the living room playing when they heard it start. William continued to play with his toys like nothing was going on or like he didn't care. Carol kept quiet and shy, and had a slightly saddened expression on her face. Duff knew that his younger sister didn't understand the situation, and he wasn't going to tell her. All she knew was that something bad was happening and it made her sad.

"Be righ' back, kay sis?" Duff mumbled. He kissed her cheek and got up. She looked at him and watched as he walked out the door to one of the many hallways in the castle. Wee Duff followed down the dark stone corridor until he came to a door. Behind that door was his mother and father. Yelling and shouting came from Allan, and screeching came from Belle. Arguing and fearful bawls pierced his already tainted ears, as curiosity and nervousness swam through him. Duff closed his eyes and listened carefully to the words being said in between the bone-chilling uproar.

"Don' ye know whut ye are doin' te our children? Tey hear t'ese sounds all te time, don' ye think tey wonder whuts goin' ehn? Sooner er later ther goin' te find ou', ther yer children, Allan, love them! Yer own son Duffaile, he's always so sad ye never talk te 'em, an' always er praisin' Will,"

"Aw, shut yer mouthie ye cow!"

After that, a scream was heard. It was attempted to be covered up, almost as if Belle didn't want her children to hear the screaming anymore. She had to stand up and take the fight for her children—if she didn't stand up to Allan, he would take it out on them.

Duff was thinking the exact opposite when he opened the door. Inside the room was knocked over furniture, broken glass, and blood. Belle cried out when she saw her middle child interfere in a fight for the first time ever. She became so scared for him, and ran to him.

However, Allan got to him first.

"Please!" Belle screeched at the top of her lungs could reach. She tackled her abusive husband on his side, trying to reach over and grab her six year old child. "P_lease_ don't hurt 'em, Allan! He's yer _son_!" She desperately cried and grabbed around Allan for Duff, but he wouldn't let her touch him. Allan first pushed Belle away, and she fell to the ground. Then he turned to Duff and smacked him hard across the face. The blow was enough to knock Duff down to the floor, and like any normal, innocent six year old would, Duff started to cry.

Allan, disgusted by the fact that his son was a weakling, bent down and hit Duff again. He shook his son and kicked him a few hard times. He didn't stop until Belle hit a glass bottle over his head, and then he fell right on top of his bruised and battered Duffaile.

Duff just wouldn't stop crying madly. Belle grabbed him and pulled him out from under the pull of Allan's body and carried him away. She cooed him, she soothed him, she sang to him, but nothing made him stop. Belle brought her son to her room, forcing his brother and sister to follow. She closed and locked the door, and took out a suitcase.

Cathella, who was reading in the room, looked up with shock. "Whut happened?" her voice shook.

"He hit Duff." Was all Belle said to her mother-in-law. Cathella didn't say a word back, but the silence was easy to read: she understood and would do the same in her shoes. Frankly, Cathella knew this day would come sooner or later. She seemed to know things would come, anyway.

That night, after packing for herself and her three children, Belle took her kids and ran.

She didn't succeed.

Forced to live with the man that chose to abuse his children caused Belle to feel like the worst wife and mother in the world. She _knew _that she was. She had failed from protecting her children, but there was no way she was going to leave. She would be there for as long as her heart could take it, which unfortunately only ended up being for another three years.

Duff thought he was doing something good by taking the beating from his father. He cried and cried, but never in front of Allan while he was being beaten. Duff soon learned that when Allan saw weakness, he only beat more. Duff thought he was protecting his mother, and almost felt like a hero.

That changed when Carol started to get beaten too, while William was never touched. William also joined his father in hitting Duff.

Duff Killigan grew up abusive and an alcoholic just like his father. He hit others and smashed things, but Duff _never_ hit children, however. He _especially _never hit his own child, but instead spoiled and loved her every chance he got, just as his mother did.

After all those years of being physically abused, Duff grew cigar burn marks and knife scars all over his face, back, torso, arms and legs. Duff always hid his skin whenever he could, and if he was with a woman and she asked, he never revealed the truth about them, about how his father was the one who gave them to him and about his cruel childhood.

There were only two women he told the truth to. One was his future employee—the other, a very special friend. She would have a sadness about her when the subject of his childhood came up, and she would tell him he didn't deserve any of it.

No matter how much he tried to convince himself, Duff Killigan could never agree.


	11. Fight

**Fight**

_August 23, 2011_

_Dear Diary,_

Duff paused. He wrote the first two words, check. But it all seemed so silly. Not once in his life did he ever write in records anything of his life. Now, at 31 years old, Duff wrote the words 'Dear Diary' for the first time. Duff never even remembered smiling for any pictures. There was no history on him, but now thanks to his psychologist, there would be. The psychologist said the writing is a calming benefit in its own, but a log of Duff's day, each day, may help some understanding.

'_Meh, eh need eh new hobby anyway' _Duff thought.

_Dear Diary,_

_Andrea has been weird lately. I hardly saw her all day. Usually she is on top of me everywhere I go, and if she isn't, she notifies me that she will be occupied. I don't know where she is or what she's doing, and I have mixed feelings about it. I feel suspicious that she is doing something behind my back, but I find that hard to believe. I also feel worried in a way, for I do care about her…_

Duff paused.

…_..I can't believe I even wrote that down. _

Not sure what to write after that surprising self-admittance, he got up, closed his book and placed it under his mattress. Duff changed into a casual outfit of jeans and a sweater, and went downstairs for breakfast. To his surprise, Andrea was in the kitchen cooking for him, which she usually did anyway.

"Hey Duffy." She said in her overly peppy voice, while frying some eggs in a pan.

Duff rolled his eyes and huffed. "How many times do eh have te keep tellin' ye…don' call meh tha'!" He sat down at the table.

Andrea pouted. "But it's cute."

"Eh don' care if ye think it's cute, eh think it's annoying!"

"Fine, fine smart mouth. Here." She handed him a plate of eggs and toast, a typical meal that she liked to serve him. Duff grew up never eating this meal once in his life, but now suddenly after hiring an American sidekick his meals change entirely.

Duff had been living alone for quite some time after kicking his father out of his own home. Then, he decided that he could have better odds at being a villain by hiring some assistance. He liked to refer Andrea as his 'caddy', to play with his golf theme. Having someone to live with after so many years of living alone changed a lot. Duff had to change his habits at first, but then once he realized that she didn't care what he did and was perfectly comfortable around him just as he was perfectly comfortable around her, he went back to living as he normally did, and essentially, Andrea became a part of his family. He ended up telling her everything about his life, just because she would listen. He told her everything from being abused as a child to his daughter to his favorite things to do to his worst habits and uncontrollable issues. She was like a young, quirky, not so innocent Carol that had been missing in his life. She became his best friend, and for hours Duff would sit with her on the couch just talking. She gave him advice on everything, and Duff realized that she was a better psychologist than any counselor he has ever seen. He trusted her diary idea would work, since all her other ones did.

As Duff ate, he stared at the seat across from him. All he could think about for the past decade or so was how much he missed the little girl who used to sit across from him and eat breakfast with him. Now, that seat was taken by a bright young woman who was his best friend and who knew more about himself than _he _knew. Not that he didn't like her company, he just missed his daughter.

Duff thought he would ask Andrea some questions to see if she would spill anything on her odd disappearances.

"So…lassie."

"Oh I see how it is…I call you Duffy and so now you call me lassie, after I keep telling you I think it sounds like you are calling me that fluffy dog."

Duff smiled. Her sense of humor was uplifting, even in the morning before he has his coffee.

"Tha's right…by te way, whut's been goin' ehn wit ye? Ye've been mysterious lately." He joked.

"Oh…I don't know. Nothing is going on, I'm fine." She replied, with the slightest hint of obscurity to her voice.

Duff didn't ask any more questions, but he could tell she was lying and that something was up. '_Boyfriend_', he figured.

But what Duff didn't know was that a fellow villain was secretly staying at Duff's castle with the help of his sidekick, and that villain was Shego.

"Sooo…" Andrea said, sitting in her room with Shego.

"Do you think he will mind?" Shego asked, referring to Duff.

"Pssh…yes." Andrea looked to the ground and almost worried for this stranger. Andrea knew who she was, so when she called the castle asking if she could stay for a few weeks she thought Duff wouldn't mind, since she was an ally. Now that she thought about it, she thought he would mind very much, based on the way he's been acting lately, which was very unstable.

"So what happened anyway?" Andrea asked, curious. "I understand if you don't want to tell me though since you don't really know me."

Shego looked up. "With Duff? Or…"

'_With Duff? What happened with her and Duff?" _Andrea thought.

"N-no….why you needed a place to stay."

Shego rolled her eyes. "Dr. D is just…the way he's been acting lately…ugh."

"Dr. D…oh Drakken? I remember Duff mentioning him a few times."

Shego nod her head. "He just won't leave me alone."

Andrea remembered Duff associating the word 'annoying' with 'Drakken'.

"In what way? Is he annoying you with, like, a lot of work or annoying you socially?"

"No like…he wants me to…ya know…be with him." Shego mumbled that last part.

"Oh...but you don't like him that way?" Andrea asked. She thought it was silly to ask, since Shego kind of made that obvious. But the story with her and her boss still lingered in her mind. What happened between them? Why didn't Shego want Duff to know she was in his castle after all? Was it because she told Shego that Duff had been a heavy alcoholic lately, and that he went into many rages?

"Then why come here of all places to get away?" Andrea asked.

Shego said nothing, but she looked too awkward to answer. Little did Andrea know both of her questions pretty much had the same answer.

Suddenly, Duff's voice could be heard downstairs. "Andrea?" he called. His voice was loud and wavered a bit…Andrea could already tell he was drunk. She saw him drinking this morning, so she knew this would come. She was almost afraid of what he wanted. Andrea didn't blame him, though. He had a right to be upset with his life. Social services took away his daughter whom he loved so much, he had almost no friends, no love life, and his job was to be a dirty criminal. Andrea knew that she was a miracle in his life. To be his one and only true friend, to be someone to care for him and to listen, was the best thing that has happened to Duff in about a decade or more.

Shego froze when Duff called for his sidekick. Andrea turned to Shego. "I'll be right back...see what he wants. He's been a bit on edge lately. Maybe he's getting suspicious." With that, Andrea used her power to teleport out of the room and downstairs to her boss. Shego was nervous.

Andrea teleported to where Duff was, which was the kitchen. He was holding a bottle of whiskey.

"Where 'ave ye been?" he growled.

"In my room." Andrea answered innocently.

"Doin' _whut_?"

"Reading." She quickly lied.

"Eh don' believe ye." He snapped back just as quickly.

Andrea didn't know what to say. How could she convince him that nothing was wrong? She was beginning to think she couldn't.

"Eh know yer hidin' somethin', Andrea. Eh didn' hire no sidekick so she could go behind meh fuckin' back!" he gripped the whiskey bottle tighter.

'_Oh boy…now he's throwing out the curse words at me_'. "Duff…you know I wouldn't ever try and hurt you. I'm your friend and I'm always here for you. I love and care about you like you're my big brother or something."

Duff was an angry drunk, and Andrea knew he wouldn't calm down after those heartfelt words. Though, Andrea thought she could almost see something like warmth through his eyes.

It took Duff a few moments to build up his wall again and yell back with wrath. "Whut are ye hidin'!"

Shego opened the door slightly upstairs, and peaked out after hearing all the yelling.

Andrea knew she couldn't hide anything from her boss. She didn't want to, but also because he _always _found out about _everything_. His security systems on the island were the top of all super villains, literally. He was rated number one in the Villains magazine. Andrea was surprised he didn't have security cameras around the castle. But then again…it was possible. Then she thought if he did have them, he would know about Shego…unless he was testing her.

The paranoia made Andrea feel like she was going crazy. She began to cry. She took Duff's arm and kneeled to him. "Duff stop! Please, there's nothing to get mad about! It's nothing!"

Given the fact that she wouldn't give him a straight answer, Duff figured he would take matters into his own hands. He let himself loose from her grasp and left the kitchen. He clomped up the stairs heavily with Andrea running behind him and Shego, who was watching, gasped and quickly closed the door. Andrea then teleported in front of him on the top of the stairs to make him stop, but he pushed her aside. He grabbed the handle of her bedroom and pushed the door open: the room was empty. Shego was hiding in the closet.

"S-see…it's nothing." Andrea mumbled.

Duff growled a little, seeing that maybe his sidekick _was _right, and gave up. He let go of the door handle and went back downstairs.

Andrea hurried in her room without hesitation and closed the door. Shego opened the closet door and got out. She sighed, and saw as Andrea had a crazed look on her face.

"…that was scary." She commented.

Shego also had a look on her face. It wasn't fear, it was anxiety. Just seeing Duff made her feel extremely nervous.

"He is so going to put up security cameras now and be _extra _paranoid…" Andrea mumbled as she paced the room.

Shego looked up. "Wait what?"

"Oh yeah…he isn't convinced that nothing is up. I can tell. He's going to keep popping in to try and catch us now."

Shego rolled her eyes and Andrea laughed a little in response. "That's D for ya."

"Is he always that drunk?" Shego asked. Andrea nod her head.

"Oh yeah…I mean, lately. Not always but for some reason he has these periods that last a certain amount of time…could be a few days, a few weeks, even a few months where he just goes into this drunken, druggie state."

"And when he isn't like that?" Shego put her hands on her hips.

"He is in his lab working and only comes out to get more coffee. I swear he doesn't go to the bathroom, eat or sleep and it baffles me how he manages."

Shego tried to think of the possibilities but they just gave her ideas she did _not _want to imagine.

"Well…if I need to go somewhere and leave this room I can go when he is sleeping…" Shego said.

Suddenly, Duff opened the door and caught them. He looked at Shego with the most astounded face, like she was the last person on Earth he expected to see.

Shego stared at him and continued. "…or I will let him know I am here to visit now!"

Andrea gasped. Duff looked at Shego and yelled obnoxiously and angrily in his drunken state. "Whut te hell are ye doin' 'ere!"

"I came to see Andrea…" Shego replied in a calm manner.

"Bullshit! Ye don' even know her! Whut are ye doin' 'ere?" he asked again. Duff turned to his sidekick and grabbed her arm…tight. She yelped as he screamed in her face. "Why'd ye allow her in, eh specifically said nae visitors!"

Andrea started to tear, but Duff had impaired judgement from the alcohol. He didn't know what he was doing. He didn't know he was hurting her, mentally and physically. Shego grabbed Duff's arm and pulled him away from her.

"Leave her alone! She is helping me."

Duff let go of his sidekick and turned to Shego now. He snapped at her visciously, and Shego was actually a little scared. She had never seen Duff this way…she never even knew this side of him existed. Shego knew nothing of Duff except for the few times he had worked with her and Dr. Drakken. She thought his reputation was a bit lame but still good, and overall he was a goofy guy. Her opinion changed completely.

"Helping ye wit whut!" Duff grabbed her too, in the same way he grabbed his sidekick.

Shego tried pulling away but couldn't. He was too strong…she never knew he was that strong. Her voice wavered a little bit from panic. "I don't want to be home right now! Personal reasons!"

Duff was in her face and was acting very, very scary. "Eh don' fuckin' care. GET OUTTEH MEH CASTLE!" He yelled, then he tightened his grip on her, hurting her more, and pushed her out the room. She fell to the floor and yelled without getting up.

"I'm NOT leaving!"

"Aye, ye are!" Duff started kicking her towards the stairs.

Shego got up and pushed him right back. They struggled in the hallway for a few minutes fighting as Andrea watched helpless. Suddenly, Duff got a hold of Shego and threw her down the stairs. Andrea screamed and Shego made a loud 'thump' as she hit the wood floor. She hit her side on the railing of the stairs as she took her painful fall.

In response to Andrea's scream, Duff turned around and attacked her. In his mind, all he could think about was how she betrayed him. He let his walls come down for her and she went behind his back. She lied to him. She broke his heart.

Shego grabbed the railing and tried standing but couldn't. Something was broken.

Duff grabbed Andrea after beating her and threw her down the stairs as well. She screamed and teleported out on the fall before she got hurt even more.

Shego held her side as Duff came down to get to her again. He grabbed her and forced her up, and she groaned loudly.

"Eh thought eh told ye te get outteh meh castle..."

Duff must have grabbed her in the wrong spot because Shego made a loud, painful noise. Duff threw her to the floor and kicked her, beat her, made her bleed, made her beg, made her cry. He made her beautiful green skin a dark, agonizing black.

Andrea tried jumping on his back, which made him stop attacking Shego. She groaned on the floor and was in need of a hospital. If Andrea hadn't stopped Duff, he would have probably beaten Shego to death.

"Stop, stop!" Andrea cried as Duff grabbed her and pulled her off his back. She then stood in front of him, tears rolling down her face and dripping all over her tartan jumpsuit and Duff's kilt when he was about to punch her.

Instead, she gave him a kiss.

"Mm!" Duff groaned as his violence was put on hold by a woman he cared for very much. She kissed him for a while until she felt he was calm enough to stop hurting her or Shego, and then she took a step back and stopped.

Duff panted and looked at her like she had seven heads, but also as if he was delighted to see her multiple body parts.

"Duff…h-help." Andrea groaned. Duff looked at her black eye, bruised face, bloody nose and lip. He looked down at Shego who was….revolting to look at.

"What have eh done…" Duff whispered. He took Andrea, gently, and together they helped Shego on the couch. She cried out when they put their hands on her, and they could tell she was going through hell. Duff immediately called a doctor he knew, and had an instant meltdown—one that _didn't _involve whiskey and methamphetamine.

As Duff waited for the doctor to arrive he watched Andrea and Shego in the other room. Shego was barely able to keep herself conscious. Andrea was able to function, but was battered terribly and was probably in so much pain. How could he do this? This was the first time he actually did something terrible from the result of being an alcoholic. He felt like his father, and that was a sign he did not like to see. And when Andrea…kissed him he almost instantly stopped. But she kissed him! Why did she do that? Was that to try and prevent his violence or was there something more? Did she actually feel for him, more than a best friend? So many thoughts spinned around in his head, but the one thought that kept popping up more than anything was, '_I almost killed them_'.

If Andrea hadn't stopped him, he would have. He knew he would have. He had no control. He needed help. He was an alcoholic, a drug addict, and a murder. He killed before, but now he can't control his emotions anymore. He would get overly angry, throw things, break things, and usually not furniture. What was wrong with him? Duff didn't know what help to seek but he knew he needed it. But before any of that, he needed to apologize to Andrea and Shego…and he _knew _they couldn't forgive him for what he did…and for what he almost did. He couldn't possibly imagine them to understand…but somehow, they did.

When Duff apologized to Andrea she hugged him and didn't say a word. Duff almost wanted to kiss her, but he didn't. She told him with her body language that she was thinking the same as him: he needed help. This wasn't normal. Andrea knew that, and she was going to stick by his side and help him. She had his back, and she wasn't going to let this little mishap stop that. Duff didn't feel mad at all for her lying to him about Shego…he felt too guilty.

What baffled him even more was Shego's reaction. She actually forgave him, but he had no clue why or how. She had every reason to hate him, but instead she told him that it was okay. Duff was so confused, it bothered him for weeks as to why Shego forgave him for almost killing her. As the weeks went by, and after Duff found out he had a disorder, after Andrea and Shego healed from most of their bruises, and even weeks after _that_, after Shego's broken rib healed, it _still _baffled him. Shego couldn't have possibly known about his anger disorder at the time, but in the future, after so much worry and confusion, Duff eventually found out why she forgave him, and why she always acted so nervous around him. Also, Andrea and Duff didn't kiss after the incident. Andrea was too afraid of messing their friendship up and complicating things, even if they did think their friendship could go to the next level, and also someone else was in the picture. Andrea didn't want to ruin _that_ either, even if she did stick by Duff's side every step of the way, never giving up with him.

Ever.


	12. Seamus

**Seamus**

Duff sat around his castle and felt lonely…again. His family was gone, and he was completely and utterly alone. Will moved out, Duff kicked his father out, and everyone else was just, well, dead. Bess was taken away by child services, and Duff didn't have a girlfriend, much less one that lived with him. It made Duff grumpy to feel so pathetic. He had no social life, except for one night stands which didn't really do him any justice. He felt like he needed _something…_anything.

Or any_one_, rather. Not having any friends, really, Duff often liked to pick on his fellow villains to rant to. Some he preferred more than others. Drakken was whiney and didn't want to be the rantee…he wanted to be the ranter. Shego he hardly knew and she didn't really want to listen to him anyway, Dementor was….loud, DNAmy was extremely weird, creepy, and a very desperate last measure, and most of the other villains all had their faults, but Monkey Fist seemed to always be Duff's best choice. Yes all he ever talked about was monkeys, but there was more to him than that. Monkey Fist was once an English gentleman and in a way, still is. He was serious in conversations and seemed to give intelligent advice. Duff thought he would give him a call and see what he was up to.

"Yes?" Fist answered when Duff called him.

"How ye doin', lad."

"Ah, Killigan. I just finished my daily training of Tai Shing Pek Kwar…what may I ask is the meaning of this house call?"

"Och, eh am _so bored_! Eh feel like an ant."

Monkey Fist paused for a moment. "An ant? Pray tell me why such a creature?"

"Ehm all alone in tis big castle o' mine. Eh got nuthin' te do an' eh got no one te talk te. How dye survive it? Yer castle is almost as big as mine, an ye live alone too."

Monkey Fist thought he should let that one slide on his castle being smaller than Duff's, which, in his opinion, was certainly not true. "I am not alone my friend. I have my monkey ninjas to keep me company."

Duff tried not to laugh. "Monkeys? Lad, no offense but…how can an' ape keep one company?"

"You would be surprised. Humans aren't the only beings on this Earth with life and soul. If you desire a human, then find a woman. If not, I suggest getting some sort of pet."

"Eh pet?"

"Indeed. I can spare one of my monkey ninjas for the time being if you wish?"

"Err…tha's okay Monkey Fist…"

"Then perhaps you should purchase a dog or something."

Duff took that in. He never had a pet, much less a dog. As a child he always wanted one, but his father never approved. Duff was scared Allan would hurt the dog anyway, just as he hurt everyone else in the household. Duff thought maybe Monkey Fist was right. Maybe he should finally get a dog and see how things go. If things don't work out, then he could always get rid of the thing.

The next day Duff looked through the newspaper while drinking his morning cup of black coffee. He found a section in the newspaper for breeders, and one little column caught his eye.

**Scottish Terrier puppies**

**for sale **8 weeks. 3 males

$300, 1 female $750.

Shots, papers – call Darren

Duff picked up his phone and called the phone number indicated under the article.

"Hullo?"

"Err….is tis Darren?"

"Aye, an' whose tis?"

"Meh name's Duff…eh wus lookin' ah yer advertisement in _The Scotsman_."

"Oh fer te pups?"

"Aye."

"Well hullo Duff! Are ye interested in checkin' 'em ou'?"

"Sure…where dye live?"

Duff wrote down the address on the newspaper. The man lived in Glasgow. Duff let the man know that he lived on an island off the coast of Scotland, and that it would be a trip for him. The man didn't have a problem and wished him luck. Duff hung up the phone and sighed. He was really going through with this. He was going to buy his very first pet.

Duff couldn't stop thinking of his childhood and how he never was able to have a pet in the house. He remembered all the kids he knew had pets, like Mary. Her family had a cat which Duff enjoyed playing with. Allan would scold Duff, telling him the animals had disease and referring them as 'ratwags'. As a child Duff loved all kinds of animals, he loved petting a dog or a cat to feel their fluffy fur. At one point in his life he wanted a dog so bad he would ask his mother each day (never his father), but the answer was always the same and it was always disappointing.

One year for Christmas Belle gave Duff a stuffed dog that was as furry as a real one. Duff loved it so much until Allan took it away; he said a toy like that was pathetic for a little boy.

Duff shook all these memories out of his head once he was out on the roads of Scotland after docking his boat on the ports. He got in his red sports vehicle and drove to Glasgow. The whole trip took him awhile since he came from near the island of Islay. When he came to the apartment, he parked his car in the street and went up to the room. He knocked thrice and a young man dressed in hip clothing opened the door. Duff felt so old looking at this lad…he wore a baseball cap, a big red T-shirt and baggy jeans. Duff wore black shoes, dark fitted jeans and a black sweater. Darren looked in his early twenties, while Duff was in his late twenties, but he felt so much older, especially since Duff shaved his head just a few weeks prior.

"Ye Duff?" Darren asked, extending his hand out for a shake. Duff took it.

"Aye." Duff peered into the apartment as he could and he saw an area that was penned. He could see little black puppies running around and playing behind the gate. Oddly, Duff was beginning to feel giddy.

Darren led Duff through the apartment and to the penned area. Four tiny black Scottish Terriers ran around and played with each other, jumping and biting and pouncing. Darren stepped over the gate and told Duff to do the same. As soon as Duff's foot touched the inside of the pen, a puppy ran over to his foot and started biting at it.

"Hey!" Duff chuckled as he set his other foot down. He bent down and picked up the puppy. It squirmed in his hands, wanting to lean forward and lick Duff's face. Duff brought the puppy to his chest and held it there, and the pup stayed still, almost like it was relaxing. It snuggled up to Duff's chest and gave him a few licks on his neck and jaw. Duff smirked and felt so loved and happy. He felt like a kid again. For a second, he almost forgot that he was a twenty seven year old man.

"Ye like tha' one? He's three hundred." Darren noted. Duff nod his head and without hesitation said, "I'll take 'em."

Duff bought the dog on impulse and thought of names while he was in the car on the ride home. Eventually, he came to the name Seamus. He always liked the name, he thought it was a good one. He looked over to see what Seamus was up to, to see if he was napping in the chair or trying to stick his head out the window to feel the breeze or to watch the scenery, but no, instead he was taking a leak.

Duff gasped and stopped the car. He got out, ran to the other side of the car, opened the door, grabbed the dog, and held him to finish outside. But, as soon as Duff took him out of the car he stopped.

Duff was not a happy camper. He _loved _his car, and he did not love it when his car got dirty, or in this case, soiled.

With an unkind attitude, Duff cleaned out his car and made sure Seamus was done before he was let in the car again. Duff made sure to cover the seat with a blanket, just in case, and to keep reminding himself that this animal wasn't house trained.

The rest of the ride home was fine except for the one accident. Duff was forgiving…though he was upset about the car seat which he would have to replace because he would not deal with the cleaning or any chance of anything remaining, Duff understood that it wasn't Seamus' fault and he didn't know better…..or did he?

Fact of the matter is, Seamus was indeed a ratwag. As soon as Duff got home and chat on the phone with someone to fix his car, he let Seamus run around the island. Duff talked for a good hour, and when he hung up he looked around for Seamus only to find him digging up his garden.

"Bad dog! Ye mutt!" Duff scolded as he tore his dog away from the dug up flowers. Now he would have to call a gardener too!

Duff growled and took Seamus into the house. But that was an even bigger mistake. Over the course of several weeks Duff had to deal with waking up to find his furniture torn, his kilts ripped, and his floors and walls soiled.

Duff wasn't one for animal abuse, but he was close to it. Duff got angry easily, and this dog made him very, very angry. However, deep down inside, Duff had a heart. He would never hurt Seamus, and if anything, he would simply give him away. Duff surprised himself considering he didn't give up on Seamus yet. Perhaps, he thought, he wanted to promise himself that he would train this dog. Maybe deep inside his brain Duff couldn't let Seamus go, since everyone else in his life left out of his control.

Duff had Seamus for about a year before things started to settle. Seamus eventually became trained to go to the bathroom in the yard and away from the garden, to not dig up the yard, to not chew Duff's shoes or any of the furniture, and to certainly not rip up any of Duff's kilts. Duff fed Seamus every day and he hired someone to clean up the little presents left behind outside. Duff did grow attached to Seamus in a way, but not completely. That is…until one day, a very special day as a matter of fact, something happened.

Duff was working on something big, something that would redeem him out in the world. It was about three years after having Seamus, and a short time after working in the black market. He was introduced to this man named Professor Green, and during the time Duff was angry at the world for banning him from all golf courses. He wanted revenge, and Professor Green held the key. Green had a formula for a fast growing grass, and Duff's plan was to cover the entire world with this grass to make the world his own personal golf course. He learned all about the grass on the internet—it was perfect for his plan. The only warning label it came with was that it was highly toxic to animals, but Duff didn't need to worry about that.

When Kim Possible, Ron Stoppable and Will Due came to stop Duff Killigan and his evil plan, they sneaked around his dungeon and saw all was covered with the fast growing grass. Not only did they find Professor Green covered in the solution, they also caught a glimpse of a little Scottish Terrier running around, covered in grass. They didn't know anything of it. The day of Duff's plan, Duff had put Seamus in the dungeon to keep him hidden from anyone who would try and stop him. When he kidnapped Professor Green and threw him in the dungeon, sprinkled the special seeds all around the room and watered them, causing the whole room and its inhabitants to be covered, he completely forgot in the moment of victory and frustration that Seamus was down there too.

When Duff finally remembered that his dog was in danger of dying from toxic poisoning he was already in the police car covered in dandelion flowers and on his way to a Japanese jail center. How could he let this happen? He was responsible for the death of a sweet little dog he loved so much. Duff didn't realize how much he loved Seamus until he was too late. Yes he had a hard time training him at first, yes Seamus did terrible things and ruined many treasured items and was such a pain, but Seamus was always there to lick Duff or snuggle to him when he was feeling down. Seamus was a part of Duff's family. Seamus almost acted like a best friend, and in a way he was. Monkey Fist had been right—animals were a lot like humans. When Duff thought about it, he never felt alone when Seamus was around. There was always something in the dog that was comforting, even if he was just in the room sleeping. Seamus was as human as Duff was, but now he was gone. There was nothing Duff could do.

Police thought Duff was upset about being caught and having to go to jail when they saw tears in his eyes. Little did they know that Duff had lost his best friend.

Little did Duff know that Seamus was saved when the woman he hired to clean up after Seamus found him and brought him to the veterinary hospital, and just in time too. Little did Duff know that Seamus was fine and living a healthy life with the woman. Little did Duff know that he didn't need to feel guilty and tear up every night, thinking he is the cause of all the deaths of his family. He was guilty of his grandmother, his mother, his sister, his dog…the guilt ate away at him with no reason and logic. He wasn't responsible, but so he thought miserably. It was only until the woman visited Duff in jail bringing him the news did he realize that he cried for nothing.


	13. Duffaile edited

**Duffaile **

_This name is pronounced Duff-AY-lee or, according to his classmates, Duff-ALE-ee_

Duff hated going to school. It meant succumbing to the taunts of his classmates. He could never get used to the hatred, especially when he knew for a fact that he was the only one picked on at school and at home. In his family, Duff was least favorite by his father, and for a reason he never understood. His older brother William was the favorite…and as a toddler, as toddlers don't fully understand things, played along and teased his brother as if it was a game. In school, Duff was teased by his short and chubby body. Was it his fault that Allan never took him out for sport with his brother, and as default his mother was always around to make him lunch? Fitness and strength was important for a growing Scottish boy, that he knew. To be himself would be to put shame on his family. But if he couldn't be himself, what could he be? Who was he to be, if not a respected Scottish man? What other life was there for him?

Even at such a young age, Duff's biggest problem was finding himself. One morning he sat on his living room rug, next to William, before their father. His enormous bear-like body overtook the chair he sat in as he read the weekly news.

"Pa, who ehm I?" Duff mumbled, assuming his father would have the answer to his question.

After a moment of reading and turning a page, Allan replied in his gruff voice, "Yer Duffaile Hondscioh Killigan…meh son." There was a slight hesitation in the last part of his sentence.

"Why is tha' meh name?"

Allan ignored the question. What was the importance of a name to a child? He wouldn't have understood, anyway.

"Paaaah," William tried. "Whut does _meh _name mean?"

Allan finally looked down from his newspaper at his oldest son. He grabbed Will's hair and shook it playfully.

"Yer name means _Protector_, meh boy. An' don' whine! Makes ye sound like yer sister."

"Okay, Pa. Whut's yer name mean?" Will asked.

Allan smiled and chuckled. "Handsome."

Duffaile shyly came up to them and asked his father in a low tone, almost a whisper, "Whut does meh name mean, Pa?"

Immediately Allan's eyes sunk and his mouth flattened. "It means dark, black." He said.

"Ha! The color of evil, eh knew it!" Will laughed. He punched his brother's arm…hard.

Duffaile walked away from the two of them. He went into the kitchen, afraid of losing control of his emotions in front of them, especially his father. He didn't want to cry in front of his father. He didn't want to get hit again.

Dark? Black? Evil? So William was right all along…Duff was born evil. He was born a bad child, that was why Allan didn't like him. What determined it, though? How did they figure it out? Did Cathella predict it? Was it the color of his hair, his eyes, his skin? Did he do something extraordinary and demonic at his birth?

Duff's mother, Belle, was in the kitchen cooking something that smelled heavenly.

"Haggie?" Duffaile asked. He sat down at the small wooden table.

"No, son." She cooed. "Scones….how does that little nose of yours mix up the smell of scones and the smell of haggis?" she smiled like an angel. With floured hands she poked his nose. He giggled and put his hands to his nose, shielding it. He tried to wipe off the flour.

"Is't gone, Ma?"

"Let me see." Belle poked his nose again and laughed. He did too, shaking more flour off.

"May eh try, Ma?" Duff peered over the counter at the powdery dough. There were little red chunks embedded inside. "Those cherries?"

"They certainly are." Belle smiled. "Of course ye can try….here." She put her hands over his and placed them on the dough. She pushed his hands up, spreading the dough, then together they folded it and pushed it again. They continued to knead when Duff spoke up.

"Ma, whut's meh name mean?"

She giggled. "Baker. Meh Pa, yer grandfather, Cathella's husband wus eh baker. Eh learned all his recipies fro' him. His name wus Duffaile too. Eh named ye after him, an' Allan named Will after his father."

"Whut did grandpa Will do?"

"He wus eh soldier. He fought in te Battle o' te Braes."

"Whut's yer name mean?"

"Beauty…" she smiled softly. "Cathella named me tha' cus tha's whut eh looked like te first time she saw meh."

Duff was silent for a few minutes before he spoke again. He was a bit confused, thought maybe he was missing something. When they separated the scones and put them in the oven, five year old Duff asked, "Then why did Pa say meh name meant black, te color o' evil?"

Belle looked astonished. "Te color o' evil? My, where did ye get tha'? Yer Pa o' William? Black is nae te color o' evil…it's te color o' formality, elegance, te color o' te Earth, self-control an' stability…"

"Well…why did ye say it meant Baker if it meant black?"

Belle sat down. She looked as if it hurt to stand for too long. "Names can 'ave several meanings. Fer some, it's eh mystery whut eh name means. Ye have te figure out its origin, an' many people may 'ave different feelings about different names. Ye should be proud o' yers. Its eh strong family name. Whutever anyone may interpret, te only thing tha' matters is whut _ye _think o' it. Eh name is eh special thing, Duffaile. Most people hear eh famous name an' either praise or scold it. Ye don't want yer name te be scolded. Ye want te world te hear yer name an' think, "Whut eh great lad tha' Duffaile Killigan is."

Duff looked at his mother. "Eh guess so." He said. What she said encouraged him, but he still felt hurt by what Will said.

Within twenty minutes the scones were done, and the Killigan family shared breakfast. Then it was time for Duff, Will, and Carol to go to school. Belle gave them their lunches and the children took their books, and they left their castle home. They crossed the island and Allan drove them to the mainland with their boat, a short twenty minute ride. The school was close to the shore, so they were safe to go off on their own. Allan kissed Will's forehead and said goodbye to him. He only gave two simple nods to Duff and Carol.

The three children walked to school; Will wandered off as he always did, and it was a good chance he would choose to spend the day throwing rocks at windows then attend his classes.

A few minutes went by and Duff and Carol saw a few of their classmates walking. They smiled and waved at Carol—everybody loves Carol—but then they looked at Duff and their smiles faded. They looked at him like he was an odd sculpture they didn't understand. Suddenly, one of them bursted out in a mocking tone:

"DufFAILe is eh failure! DufFAILe is eh failure!"

Some of the other kids snickered. Another shouted out, "Aye! He fails at everything! Didn't yer Pa ever teach ye te be strong? Tis babe 'ere cries like eh wee lassie!"

Duff was, at that moment, tearing up. He was so conditioned to being hurt by everyone around him. Carol tried whispering in his ear, "You don't fail, Duff. You get an A on all yer tests. They're nae makin' no sense."

The kids wouldn't stop. They began to pick up any objects they could find—pebbles, pieces of concrete—and throw them at their classmate. The stones bounced off his chubby little body until one finally hit him in the forehead. The tears came rushing, and he took cover behind a building, Carol right behind him. His head hurt really bad, and when he put his hand over it, his hand felt warm and wet. Something trickled down the side of his eye like sweat.

Carol rubbed his back as they heard the snickering fade away. "It's okay, brer. It's okay. Ye got so many tha' love ye. Ther stupid, ther jealous of yer good grades. Yer so smart, brer. So smart."

Duff tried so hard to keep the tears from flowing out of his eyes. After a while he realized that wiping his eyes only allowed more to come. His nose and throat clogged up and he didn't want to even speak. He just wanted to cry. No matter how many times he cried, he felt like he could never release the emotion that was built up inside of him. He was the smartest in all his classes, especially math. Learning was his way of distracting himself from his classmates. They claimed he failed at everything a boy should be, they called him the black sheep of Scotland. He wasn't fit like all the young lads and didn't know how to hunt or fish or play sport. Often on the field at home he would play with sticks and vegetables from the garden and hit them all around, but it was nothing impressive. Duff could read, he could cook, but that was women's activities. He was a boy, that he was quite sure of. Belle said he was named after a baker. Was Grandpa Duff teased as well for doing women's work? Was it so terrible? Was Grandpa Duff the only man in Scotland known to cook? Is that his legacy? Duff thought about what his Pa said, about his name meaning darkness. For whatever reason Pa and Will saw evil in Duff, but Ma and Carol didn't. What was that difference between boys and men and their rugged judgment, and the girls and women and their loving acceptance? What _did _Duffaile think of his name? He thought about what his Ma said.

"Meh name marks meh, marks our fam. Te world will judge meh an' everyone will think ehm eh failure when they don' even know meh!" he shouted.

"Te world is big, Duff…eh highly doubt all o' te world will see ye an' know of te name yer classmates call ye…"

"Aye…well…te school is big enough."

Carol hugged her brother. "One day ye will make eh better name fer yerself. Ye will show te world how great of eh man ye are. Ye will be smart, good, kind, strong, famous…everyone will be shocked te see their 'Duf-FAIL-ee' so redeemed."

Her words comforted him. Her words always comforted him. She continued:

"Ye will follow yer dreams an' be great. Eh KNOW it."

Duff smiled. He believed her. He believed her then, and he believed her many years later, when he became a rising sports star. His name appeared in the newspaper after all the big games he won, and he thought of the expressions of his old classmates when they saw it. This was his legacy. This was how the world would remember Duff Killigan (shortened for publicity), a champion golfer.

Duff even believed his sister's words many years later, when he saw his name in the newspaper once again. He sat in his cell and read the article dedicated to him, the report of how he tried to endanger the world by covering it in mutant grass, and how he was defeated by a fifteen year-old cheerleader. He was still spitting seeds out of his mouth.

"Eh name is eh special thing, Duffaile." He said to himself, repeating the memory of his late mother. He sure brought his family justice this time. His father was right, his father was always right. His name meant evil and he was born that way. He may not have realized it when he was a lad, he didn't understand why the kids hated him. He was always their prey. He was the one the hunters had instinct to hunt. His true nature would have came out eventually, and for one of the first times, Duff felt like he knew himself. He was where he was meant to be. Who cared about the family name, either? The Killigans were known to be traitors, anyway. Why break the tradition? He would carry his family in his own tradition.

The one thing he still couldn't figure out was why his mother and his grandmother and his sister gave him such unconditional love. Perhaps, he figured, women didn't have such an instinct to detect his true nature. They were naïve to take pity on poor little Duff. It was obvious that he was such a bad man, how could they be so blind? How could anyone love him?


	14. Group Therapy

The stone wall fizzled as another line slashed across its surface. The neon green glow burned it, while the pointed tip of a razor-sharp nail scratched and erode the surface, leaving an imprint. It marked day twenty two of Hell.

Drakken had failed again, and Shego was stupid enough to continue her partnership with him. She started to feel like her whole life took place in jail. Though she was certain they would find a way to break out eventually, Shego couldn't help but think of her mortality. Will her entire life be one plot after another to take over the world, get caught, be thrown in jail, and find another way to escape? She was human, even though she had powers. Will she be a villain ten years from now, or twenty, or thirty? What did she really _want _in life?

_If there was a time where I'd doubt my life and feel like an idiot, it's going to be here._

The bell rang for breakfast. An officer strode carefully over to Shego's cell, and nervously opened her door. He handcuffed her, and escorted her to the cafeteria. All of the jail guards were afraid of her the most. It put pride in her doubtful heart. Breaking out would be easy. She could have attacked the guard, but she didn't have a plan. She figured she had to speak with Drakken first. Pathetic as he was, Shego didn't have the heart to leave him.

Shego embraced herself for another day of disgusting jail food. Everything was guaranteed to be made with preservatives, hydrogenated oils, concentrates or artificial flavors. The meat was always processed, and Shego could never tell what animal it came from. At least the jail had the decency to leave out any names. The inmates had to always guess if something was chicken or beef or pork, or fish. There were no labels, just a plop of unidentified mush on your plate, and you were forced to eat it, or you wouldn't eat at all.

As she stood on line, she tried to scan the room for Drakken but couldn't find him. The only one she recognized in the room was Monkey Fist, and somehow he managed to score a banana with his lunch. Where did he get it, and how could she get one? Shego would kill for some natural fruit, but she wasn't going to bring herself that low to go over and ask. She had a reputation to keep.

_BANG!_

Shego swirled around, her raven hair flying through the air, as she saw where the loud noise came from. It was the door to the cafeteria, and the guards had forced it open so much that it hit the wall, hard. They had thrown a new inmate into the café, and by the looks of it, there was some sort of struggle.

It was Killigan.

He yelled something at the guards in his ridiculous Scottish language which she couldn't understand. Shego wondered what he did this time to be thrown in jail again, like her. She figured he must have been caught just last night. She hadn't seen him in the three weeks she was here.

Shego watched him. Instead of heading to the end of the lunch line like everybody else, he sat down in the corner of the room on one of the sofas.

_Plop. _

The green goddess looked down at the shit on her plate. It dripped from the serving spoon as the cafeteria worker jerked it twice to get any remaining goop onto her plate before scooping it again into the pot for the next inmate on line. Shego stared at her plate. She could swear it moved.

Eventually, after getting some water, she just stood in the middle of the room and stared around, realizing there were no more empty tables.

_Great. Now I have to sit with someone. I could go over to monkey boy and ask him about that banana, but the more I think about it, I don't really want to know where he got it. Maybe ill go ask Killigan what he did this time and find out some gossip._

Striding over to the corner of the room, she sat down next to the Scotsman, who was reading some book. He looked angry, like he didn't want to be here no doubt, and he looked even angrier when she sat down.

"So, Killigan, what did you do? Drakken and I got busted for a brain washing machine attempt…you know Dr. D and his crazy ideas. I think I heard monkey boy got caught for kidnapping some intelligent space ape."

Duff said nothing and continued to read his book, ignoring her. Come to think of it, Shego hasn't heard from Killigan since last Halloween. It was now spring. It was like he fell of the face of the Earth, but he does that quite a bit. He's nothing like Drakken, where life revolves around finding some way to take over the world. Duff Killigan only did things if it involved some sort of robotic technology. He seems to be into that stuff.

"Helloo, did you hear me? C'mon it's not a huge deal you got caught, don't be such a wet blanket. Tell me what you did."

"If ye don' mind, eh'd like te be left alone. Eh can't concentrate on reading if yer yappin in meh ear."

"Well excuse me…what are you reading anyway that's so important?"

"Nuthin' ye need te worry about. Go bother someone else."

Shego inclined her head to try to read the book cover. Instead of a normal English title, there were strange symbols on the front. It didn't look like any language she's ever seen. Certainly not Chinese, or Arabic, or anything. She was curious now.

"What language is that?" she asked.

_Thump_

Duff closed the book. He got up from the sofa and walked over to the lunch line, leaving Shego alone, confused, and hungry for information. She took a sip of bottled water. It tasted heavenly but didn't quench her thirst. She got up as well, and followed right behind Killigan.

"Someone's acting suspicious." She poked him. "what you do, invade Atlantis and steal it's library?"

He didn't say anything.

"Hey!" she pulled him around. Her emerald eyes shot daggers into his onyx ones. "You're hiding something, and I'm gonna find out what it is."

His eyes narrowed. His voice was low and menacing. "An' whut exactly are ye lookin' for, lassie?"

Shego heard the door again, and some guard pulled her away.

"C'mon, your time is up! Don't interrogate the guy, we don't want a repeat of this morning!"

She never left Killigan's gaze as she was pulled away. His eyes were dark and powerful. She couldn't get them out of her head. They must have been a dark brown, but they looked like slick black to her.

Suddenly she was out in the hallway. She didn't even get a chance to eat. It was a good thing, but she knew she would get hungry later and regret interrogating Killigan. But the way he kept to himself just screamed mystery. Maybe the guard would know a thing or two.

"What do you mean a repeat of this morning?" she asked, as she was escorted to her cell. The guard gave her a look, like he wasn't sure if he should be having a conversation with her. But considering he was afraid of her, he wouldn't hesitate telling her anything she wanted to know.

"He just resisted. The guy wouldn't sit still. He threw punches around like confetti and almost killed one of the guards."

"Say what? _Killigan _almost killed someone? I never took him as a violent guy. Guess I never took the kilt thing seriously."

Again, the guard hesitated before speaking, like it was top secret. He was also being careful not to get distracted "He kept saying he 'couldn't leave her' and he 'had to get back'. If you ask me I think he's mad."

_Couldn't leave who? Get back where?_

"Do you know what he did to get in here?" Shego pried.

"I'm not too sure. Something about illegal technological experiments."

"Experiments? What kind of experiments?"

"Not too sure. All I know is he was working with certain materials he wasn't allowed to have in possession. A minor crime."

_Yeah. Minor as an elephant. The guy is working on something big, and I want in on it._

The guard left her in her cell to ponder. She tried to think of ways to get Killigan to spill the beans. Drakken was always so obvious and wacked. Killigan had interest in technology and robotics. He was being discreet, and discretion is a secret weapon in the big book of villainy. He was working on something huge, and she was going to do anything she could to find out what it was.

_A few hours later…._

Dr. Finkleburg was a lanky yet graceful, intelligent man. He was certainly over six foot, and thin as a popsicle stick. Despite the irritating class he instructed, he knew what he was talking about. No one in the room wanted to admit it, though.

Shego sat on the left side of the circle. All she could think about was the stench.

_You would think humanity of today was civilized enough to discover the benefits of bathing. I feel like I'm sitting around a bunch of cavemen. _

Because she had now entered the "peace room", as the therapist called it, fighting of any kind was not allowed and strictly punishable, as in no access to the outside area for the rest of the week. And lounging around inside a rock for a week is enough to make you go crazy. So, because of this, Shego had to restrain herself from exploding when Motor Ed sat _right _next to her, and he was the smelliest and sweatiest of them all. He spent all his free time at the gym section. 

_Ew. I think the only clean ones here are me and that blonde chick. Monkey Fist bathes, I think, but he still always smells like monkeys. Killigan seems to shower only when he wants people to go near him, and Drakken no doubt is afraid of sweat. His mommy stapled hygiene a bit too hard on his brain. I feel bad he has Motor Ed as a cousin…the guy forces him to be his work out buddy. And I don't even want to know what that stench is around Lucre's general direction._

It was the six of them, plus a few other low-key nobody's. They all seeped into their chairs, as if they were among Gods. They weren't bad enough to even call themselves criminals. And these guys were sitting beside those who were worthy of being called _Villains_.

"Alright, let's start with a relaxing meditation. Let's try to get all the negative energy any of you may feel replaced by peace. Breathe," the doctor began. Everyone in unison inhaled deeply. Shego looked around the room. Everyone had their eyes open, looking around the room just like her, feeling stupid. All except Monkey Fist, which she could understand, and Killigan, for some reason. This was the first time she has seen him frequently, and the more she saw him, the more questions she had. Who knew? Maybe Monkey Fist got him on some monkey dharma path. Dr. Finkleburg began.

"Today I'd like to go around the room and ask people to open up about their childhood memories. I think its important for us to acknowledge who we were in order to understand who we are today. Maybe by reflecting on your lives, some of you can see how and why you became society's criminals. I'd like for us to think about nature vs. nurture. Naturally we all want you to become better citizens and certainly none of you would like to spend your entire lives in jail? I'll bet deep down all of you just want peaceful lives and to be loved."

"Hippie…" someone murmured.

The doctor cleared his throat. "Yes, well. Drew Lipsky, why don't we start with you?"

Drakken looked up, surprised. He didn't expect to be first, but he was always picked on the most, so in a way it didn't surprise him. He was obviously nervous and fiddled his thumbs. Sweat poured from his brow.

"What is there to say?" he began. "I'm sure like any of us, I was tormented as a child. My mother was very…protective of me, and I think, as a doctor myself, I can pinpoint everything to her."

"In what ways was she protective?" the therapist asked.

"She would do everything for me. My laundry, pack my lunch, pick out my clothes, gave me a hard time leaving the house…she embarrassed me and treated me this way up until college. My classmates always made fun of me and I never had the courage to fight back or even defend myself. I've been hurt so early on and for so long, I think I've been conditioned to be weak."

A small, sarcastic noise came from Duff.

"And do you blame your mother for the way you are today?"

"No, I don't blame her. I love my mother, I always have. I think she acted the way she was towards me because of my father. He left us when I was young, I don't remember him. But I think my mother tried to be perfect so I wouldn't leave her too."

"Thank you for that Drew. It was very brave of you to share that personal information with us. Understanding your past and connecting it with your present is very important. Do you think you want to stop being evil?"

Drakken was silent for a long time. Shego felt like the room was one big giant oven.

"Well…I want power. I want to show the world I'm in control. I understand why I want this psychologically, but it doesn't change the fact that I want it."

The doctor nod his head. "Understandable. But keep in mind, Drew, there are other ways to be in power, like business. It shows not only power but stability. Did you ever think that you are looking for fear as well? Most people look at dictators in negative ways, not positive."

Drakken was silent. The doctor made his point.

"Let's move on. Miss León, why don't you share your story with us?"

Camille León had been distracted by looking at a compact mirror. She looked up, closed the mirror, and flipped her hair.

"I don't need this. These jail people should really hire someone with better taste. I mean, look at that suit!"

Practically everyone in the room rolled their eyes.

"Please, Camille. Try to open up."

"Why? Everyone knows who I am already."

"Yeah, you're a spoiled bimbo heiress who lost her cat food fortune." Shego stated. "But what the guy is asking, if you were listening at all, to tell us why you became a villain by looking into your past."

Camille narrowed her eyes. "Looks like someone isn't seeing the sunlight."

_Damn! _Shego forgot about the rule.

"Ladies, stay calm. Camille, tell us about your parents." The doctor tried to bring the conversation back under his control.

"Well…my mom died when I was three from a disease she got from her pregnancy with me, and I grew up with my dad Arlo and my uncle Umberto."

"How did your dad and uncle treat you?"

"I loved my uncle. He took care of me when my dad was at work. He was my only friend growing up, since I didn't, like, go to some gross school. I was tutored by the finest teachers,"

"Look how that turned out…" someone mumbled.

Camille didn't seem to hear. She continued. "He would comfort me whenever my dad got drunk or mad, and he hit me a lot. Uncle Umberto also gave me Debutante as a present. My little baby was taken away from me and is all scared in some pet shelter…"

"Camille, why do you think you got the surgery to change your face?"

"So I wouldn't get caught stealing. Hellooo, if they saw me doing it they would blame me."

"Yes, but psychologically I mean."

"Dude, you're wasting your time with the chick." Motor Ed stated. "I think she's missing her engine. Seriously."

"Give te lass a chance." Duff defended her.

Camille looked down. Anyone could tell she was hurt. She tried to fit the pieces of her life together.

"I guess…like…I wish I could live someone else's life and be someone else…"

The doctor smiled. "Good, Camille. This is progress. It's like Halloween. For one day, all of us get to pretend to be someone else."

Duff cleared his throat. "The origin of dressing up fer Halloween was te disguise yerself from evil spirits who wished harm on ye before tey crossed over."

"Maybe I'm disguising myself from…like…myself."

"Huh?" someone said.

"I don't know what just happened, but I think it was deep." Drakken stated, specifically to the therapist. He acted as if he were his partner.

"Well…okay. Great. Who's next? How about you, Miss Go?"

"Pass."

"Drew and Camille were brave enough to share their stories. Are you afraid of something?"

"I'm not afraid of anything, _Doc_. My life was simple. I had four annoying brothers. We got powers, we became heroes. I liked fighting evil. I became evil."

"Do you know why you liked being bad? Do you think it's because as a hero you were too good, and never did anything bad before? Because being evil it was something new and exciting, maybe?"

"Don't know, don't care. The powers switched our personalities. Before when I was normal, I was a sweet, innocent little angel. Now I'm the opposite. It's nature, not nurture. There's your answer."

"Okay, Shego. One last question to think over. Do you want to be evil for the rest of your life? Is it who you want to be, or is it just who you are at present?"

"I….." _the hard work, the constant failure, the jail time, the struggle for something that is always just out of reach. _"I want to succeed."

Dr. Finkleburg looked at her. He could tell she was thinking things over, and he was finished speaking with her for the day.

"Alright. We have time for one last person. Mr. Killigan, would you like to reflect upon your past for us?

Duff looked up.

"Family seems to be a predominant theme here today. Tell us about your family."

It was about three minutes before Duff spoke, or at least it felt that way. "Eh lived wit meh father, mother, grandmother, brother an' sister. Eh had eh big fam."

"Was your family close?"

"Tey say many things abou' te Killigan line. Te men are cruel an' vicious, an' te women are as gentle as lambs. Eh loved meh grandmother, an' meh mother, an' especially meh sister. Meh older brother an' meh father abused meh. Meh Pa would extinguish his cigar on meh bare chest, he fed meh whisky instead o' milk when eh was eh babe, when meh Ma wusn't around. He hit meh until he saw blood, simply because he thought eh was weak, and too girly for eh boy. He hated tha' eh loved te cook wit meh mother an' sister, said it wus women's work. Fer Christmas he bought meh books when eh couldn't read, while meh brer got toys. Meh brer, William, only encouraged the abuse an' attacked meh whenever he could. Eh had te be homeschooled, because all meh classmates would throw rocks at meh. They hated meh family. Everyone did."

Dr. Finkleburg was silent for a few moments. "But…you had your grandmother, and your mother and your sister to comfort you."

Duff said flatly, like he was trying to teach this doctor that there was nothing he could say that would help. "Meh grandmother died when eh was six, meh mother died when eh wus nine, and meh sister died eh few years ago. Her death wus te reason eh became eh villain. After her death, eh lost it. There was no reason fer meh te be te victim anymore. Eh wus bein' good fer her sake."

_Was his sister the 'her' the guard mentioned earlier? _Shego thought. He said Duff was yelling, "I can't leave her" or something like that. If his sister was dead, maybe he really was insane?

"I'm…..sorry, Duff." The doctor had nothing else to say. He was blank for words. The session had ended. Duff's life had no mystery to it, no psychological evaluation to be made. His past was so terrible, it made him a terrible person. It was that simple, and everyone in the room felt it. "You've had a hard life, that is clear. Do you ever think you can mend your broken heart and forgive? Think of what your sister would say if she saw you, looking down from heaven? Do you think you can heal yourself for her soul's sake?"

"Te day she comes down from heaven wit wings will be te day eh reconsider meh ways."

The room was silent for about five minutes. It was so still, like time was frozen.

"That's it for today everyone. I'll see you all next week."

Dr. Finkleburg got up and walked to the door. The guards that were standing at the edges of the room came over and handcuffed each inmate, and everyone was once again escorted back to their cell. Shego and Duff were the last to leave the room. Shego was just stepped through the door when she heard a grunt, and a loud struggle. Both she and the guard turned around to see Duff strangling his guard with the handcuff chain. His grip was tight. The guard had his hands to the chain around his throat, and his legs dangled and danced in the air, kicking for life. Shego's guard ran to attack Duff and pulled out a gun. But before he could fire it, Shego blasted him with her green rays. He fell to the ground, and the guard Duff strangled fell just behind him.

Shego looked down at the two men. One was dead, that was certain. The other she wasn't too sure of. She looked up at Duff in shock. She never knew him like this.

"What the hell was that for?"

He gave her a look, as if he was surprised she, of all people, was asking that.

"Ehm getting' outteh here. Ye comin' or whut?"

Shego smirked. She found her new Drakken.


	15. Group Therapy pt 2

(A/N: I realize at this point Camille isn't really supposed to exist as a villain yet. Basically this takes place in KP season 1, and Camille doesn't come until season 4. Just make pretend! Also as a note, if anyone's character seems off, it's meant to be. These characters are only based on the ones we've seen on the show, and here they are more developed and deal with some mature Disney-no-no issues. Enjoy)

"**Group Therapy" continued…**

Duff began to strip the dead guard. Shego saw what he was doing and began to copy him. She took the clothing off of the man she blasted.

"Good idea, disguise as guards." Shego stated. Drakken wouldn't have thought of that.

"One of te most obvious ideas fer eh prison break in broad daylight." Duff replied. Once he had the uniform taken off the officer, he began to strip himself.

"Whoa, is that completely necessary?" Shego had to shield her eyes when she saw the orange jumpsuit drop to the floor.

"Eh can't wear two outfits at once, an no one can see te orange uniform peeking out underneath. So yes, it's necessary! Hurry up an' change, lassie, or eh'm leavin' without ye."

Shego peeked, thinking he was dressed, but she caught a little chest. She saw his bare skin, covered with dozens of large red circular scars, as he buttoned up the jacket.

_Oh…the cigar burns. _

Shaking away the memory of Duff talking about his past, Shego undressed and let her orange jumpsuit fall to the floor as well. Respectfully, Duff didn't look at her body. She put on the guard's uniform and together they topped off their disguise with hats. Shego pulled her hair up in a bun and hid it under her hat, so she looked like a man. Then, they dragged the bodies and carried their uniforms into a small closet inside the therapy room.

"Ok, what's next?"

"Act normal an' keep yer head down."

Shego and Duff walked down the right wing of the main cell house. They walked through rows of empty cells, for most of the inmates were housed on the left wing. Nonchalantly, Duff stopped at a small metal box attached to the wall.

"Hurry, get tis open."

Shego lit up her claws, but then Duff stopped her.

"Do it carefully! Cut around te edges, so it don't look like ye did it. It'll give us more time before te guards realize we're out."

"And why are we wasting our time on this thing again?" Shego asked, while burning along the edges of the box.

Duff ignored her, and waited for it to cool for a few seconds. He opened the box and started working with the dozens of wires inside. He pulled one out, and in response the lights all around them went out too.

"Now they have ehn electrical problem te focus on. Plus, wit te lights out, it'll be harder te see our faces."

Shego smirked. It was smart.

They didn't know how far they would get, or if they would get out at all, but it was an attempt. Shego had never really gotten the chance to know Killigan. He seemed pathetic from his golf obsession. The only crimes she knew Duff for was his big 'covering the world with grass' debut, which she honestly found bizarre, and his attempt to get that robotic bracelet along with Drakken last October. The grass thing she heard was about revenge, and Duff had kidnapped a scientist for it. Still a random thing to do, but Shego knew she couldn't judge. Drakken had thought of weirder things.

The alarms hadn't gone off yet, but it was only a matter of time before someone realized their cells were empty, and they weren't supposed to be.

They continued to run through rows and rows of jail cells. It was dark, empty, and creepy. She had to ignite her hands just so she was able to see.

"Hey, how did you know that little metal box was the main electrical power…thingy? It looked like nothing. A jail as big as this, you'd think they'd have some huge generator or something." Shego asked.

"That's whut they want ye te think. Te smartest way te hide somethin' is te make it small an' obvious. Eh know eh thing or two about technology, lassie. Don' seem so surprised. Jus' because eh like golf don' mean ehm an idiot."

_Ouch. _Was it that obvious she thought he was dumb?

"What about security cameras? You'd think they'd have them in a jail, watching us." Shego stated.

"They do."

"And we haven't been caught because…?"

"Today they're doing maintenance on all te camera equipment. That's why eh chose today te escape. Also any suspicious guards would think te lack of lighting was due te the maintenance."

Shego smirked. _Very _smart.

Then, Duff stopped so abruptly, that Shego bumped into him.

"Ugh! Now what?" she growled.

"Shhh…." Duff held up a finger to his lips. "Dye hear tha'?"

Shego listened. She expected to hear feat pounding or yells of guards or Rottweilers barking. Everything sounded silent to her, until she heard a low, muffled sound, like someone was being smothered. Then she heard a man's voice.

"Shut up, you spoiled little bitch! No one will hear you scream anyway, and no one will care. This is jail…get used to it!"

The two of them walked quietly over to where the voices came from. Duff stepped closer. Even from where she was standing, Shego could see what was going on. It was an open jail cell, and a guard was on top of a woman…a blonde woman. She was struggling under his weight, and he was holding her down, and ripping her clothes off.

"HEY!" Duff yelled, once he realized what was happening. It startled the guard, and he spun around. "Leave te lass alone, ye bastard."

"Oh, shit."

Before the guard could say or do anything further, Duff attacked him. He threw the guy to the floor of Camille's cell, and beat him till he stopped moving, and blood coated his face. Shego watched in horror. Duff got up and wiped the blood off his hands with the bed sheets. Camille stood up, and looked as horrified as Shego.

"Like…ehmagawd is he dead?" she began to cry. She was shaking.

"No, he'll wake up. Are ye alright?" he touched her arm, and she flinched.

"F-fine. Why are the lights out?"

"Shego an I are escapin. Ye want te come too?"

Camille didn't have to think for a second. She wanted out of this place as fast as possible. Jail had a new meaning for her. It contained a new evil.

"Shapeshift into eh guard like us." Duff commanded. Camille morphed her face and her clothes suddenly became a guard's uniform, matching theirs. Duff looked at the man who tried to rape her…she had his face.

The three began to walk again, towards the main entrance.

"What are we going to do, just walk out the front door?" Shego asked. She tried to get onto the subject of escaping and forget about Camille's unfortunate event. She felt bad for the girl. At times like this, Shego appreciated her powers. She's never really been in a relationship with anyone before, because she's always pushed guys away, and eventually, she didn't need to try any more. She had a reputation that everyone knew and feared. Camille, on the other hand, before her villainous downfall, was known for being a ditsy heiress who was cheated on by her infamous boyfriend Robby of _Oh Boyz_. It was a huge scandal in the tabloids. Shego remembered reading about it a few years ago. She had never been a fan of the celebrity. She took pity on her weakness, how prone she was to drama, and how ridiculously spoiled she was. But after hearing about Camille's father, she could understand that this girl had her reasons. Camille had turned to a life of money and fame to try and make her pain go away. Shego's parents were never abusive, never mean, just annoying. Shego turned her back on her family. She was grateful for never being abused like Camille, and especially like Duff.

"Hullo, are ye even listening?" Duff said. Shego realized she had been zoning out.

"What?"

"Eh said, we have te make our way te the south courtyard. We jus' have te sign out as te guards an' we can cut through te exercise yard an' Shego can burn through te fence."

"Uh, right. Okay."

Duff, Shego and Camille walked up to the yard entrance. There was a guard standing there. Both Duff and Shego kept their heads down or away, but Camille was identical to the real guard, so she did all the talking.

"Hey…..Martin." Camille could make out his last name on the badge that peeked out from his pocket. "We'd like to sign out and take a break in the yard."

"All three of you? You know the rules…one break at a time per quarter. Two of you need to stay at your posts."

"We have coverage." Duff said. Shego looked up at him and was surprised. He spoke perfect, non-Scottish English. "Dan and Paul from the monitor room had open shifts. As you know they're fixing the security cameras today."

"Exactly my point." The guard responded, a little suspicious. "We need security to be on top today."

"Well they had nothing to do, and they offered to cover our breaks. David and I are tired of watching goons all day," he nudged Shego. "and if you don't mind, we'd like to chew the rag for fifteen minutes without someone shoving rules up our asses."

The guard hesitated. "Fine. But make it a quick break."

The three villains forged three separate signatures: David McCaughlin, Louis Bard, and Kris Jenkins.

They went into the yard and took a stroll to the left corner, past where the guard could see. Camille kept watch while Duff told Shego to cut open the electrical gate with her rays. She kicked out a big hole, and Camille made a loud 'sneeze' to try and cover up the sound it made. First Shego went through, then Duff, then he helped Camille. Just as she reached the other side of the gate, the alarms started to go off.

"Oh no…they, like, know we're missing!"

"Don' matter now. Run!"

The three villains ran together. They had to pass through some woods before they could reach a town or a highway. Duff hijacked a car and got in the driver's seat. Shego got shotgun and Camille sat in the back. As soon as Duff was able to hot-wire the engine, he pulled onto the highway and was driving no slower and no faster than any other car on the road. They were officially free.

"Woohooo!" Shego howled as she stretched her arms. "That….was….awesome!"

Camille didn't say anything. She stayed silent in the back, and Duff knew why. He kept quiet too.

"Well…yer welcome." Duff stated.

"Who knew golf boy would be the one to plan an escape? I gotta hand it to ya Killigan, I'm surprised. And who knew you could even speak without that ridiculous thick accent?"

"I speak more languages than you could probably think of." He responded flatly.

"No need to tell lies, Killigan. It was a compliment."

"Ehm nae lyin'. Eh've done business in te black market all o'er te world. Eh have te know how te communicate."

"Prove it. Say something in….." Shego tried to think of a language he wouldn't know. "Afrikaans."

"Die vrou wat langs my sit is dom."

Camille perked her head up. "Huh?"

"Err...what did you say?" Shego asked.

Duff just laughed hard. "Ye'll never know!"

Shego growled and lit up her hands. "Tell me!"

Duff just laughed some more and changed the subject. "So where are we goin'? Ye want me te drop ye off at Drakken's last err...lair?" he looked in the rier view mirror. "Where dye live Camille?"

"Um...well I don't really have a place right now."

Shego looked at Duff. She didnt want to go back to Drakken's last place. She wanted to find out what Killigan was up to, and help out on the evil plan.

"Well yer welcome te stay wit me until ye find eh secure enough place." Duff responded, keeping his eye on Camille in the mirror. He smiled, and she smiled back.

Shego cleared her throat and gave Camille a dirty look. "Don't you have some fancy celebrity house to live in?" She didnt want Camille in on the plan. The more players, the more they had to split winnings.

Camille narrowed her eyes. "No. If you dont remember, I was, like, disinherited. I was in jail for _stealing_. If i was rich I wouldn't have done that."

"Then go steal something else to pay for rent."

"Ugh! Like _hellooo,_"

"STOP!" Duff yelled. "Eh have enough room in meh castle, its nae eh problem fer Camille te stay, Shego!"

"Well you shouldn't have brought her along. She's helpless."

"Eh may be a lot of things, Shego, but one thing eh don't like is when eh woman is being taken advantage of against her will. So unless ye wouldn't have eh problem wit bein' raped, eh'd shut meh mouth."

Shego was horrified. Duff had insulted her, and it _hurt_. He got her _real_ good, and _no one_ has done that to her for a long time.

It was silent in the car for about a half hour before anyone said anything again.

"So where are we driving?" Camille asked.

"Well _eh _want te go home, so ehm drivin' te the nearest international airport. We can part ways there. Camille, you an' eh'll will fly te Scotland an' Shego can go wherever she wishes."

"I...I think it's best if we stay together." Shego mumbled.

"Whut?"

"We have a higher chance of not being caught if we work together."

"Uh, _no, _they'll expect te see us together. It's better if we split."

"What do you plan on doing, stealing a plane all by yourself?"

"Ye keep fergettin' Camille is right in te back seat, an' no, eh wus plannin' ehn buyin' eh plane ticket!"

"With what money and what passport?"

"We're villains...even ye know its easy te forge eh passport an' steal te money."

"Ahem!" Camille spoke up. "If you don't mind me interrupting your little conversation, I have my own private jet...I just need a pilot to fly it somewhere around here. "

"I thought you were poor, blondie." Shego growled.

"I had a jet _before _I went poor, duh!"

"Then if you were so rich _before_, why didnt you get a jet with autopilot? Duh yourself! If there's no pilot, the jet can't be flown!"

"Ay, calm down! Why ye bein' so hard on her? Listen eh have eh jet too wit autopilot, but eh'd take eh while before it got 'ere."

"I thought you had a blimp." Shego said.

"Eh changed around meh engineering. Te blimp is nice fer theatrics, nae getaways."

"Ugh. Well can you trigger the controls from here?"

"Eh jus' need eh phone."


	16. Group Therapy pt 3

"**Group Therapy pt 3" **

They got off the highway and stopped at an Italian restaurant. They got a table for three, and Shego was able to swipe a woman's purse and fish out her cellphone. She handed it to Duff.

"Thanks."

He got up from the table and walked away as he began to dial. Camille looked at the menu awkwardly. She didnt feel comfortable sitting next to Shego alone. She tried to make conversation.

"I think i'll have the eggplant parmigiana. What about you?" she looked up from her menu and Shego wasn't there.

Camille looked around. She spotted Duff on the phone at the back of the restaurant. Then she saw Shego...hiding...behind a plant...trying to listen to what Duff was saying on the phone."

"Ehmagawd...stalker...she's sooo into him."

Shego listened intently to what Duff was saying on the line.

"Guid day hen, can ye dae me a wee favur? coods ye rin it tae th' jit an' sit it oan autopilot tae a certain address?...och aye aam braw...i'll be haem suin coods ye jist dae thes fur me?...Ah ken i've bin gain th' pest few days an' aam sorry. i'll be haem tonecht…..alrecht ye got it? jist flip th' switch 'at says 'autae pilot' an' say alood thes address. okay stoatin. exit th' jit an' make sure it goes aff in fife minutes."

"What the hell?" Shego whispered. She couldn't understand a word he was saying, but she wanted to know who he was talking to. Someone lived at that castle with him. Her excitement caused her to rustle the bush she was hiding behind. Duff took notice, but Shego ducked before he could see her spying on her.

"Dornt stain tay close tae th' jit when it takes aff...it's flyin' aff noo? stoatin, thenk ye hen...i loove ye tay. see ye suin."

"I love you?" Shego whispered.

Duff hung up the phone and walked back to the table. He saw Camille sitting there, but not Shego. He sat down and picked up a menu.

"Och', ehm starvin'. Where's Shego?"

"Oh, she was over there, hiding and—"

"Hiding and hoping I could fix my makeup before dinner…." Shego said, interrupting Camille before she told Duff that she had been spying on him. Camille seemed to be on a mission to make her look bad. She didn't like it. "That whole jail escape really stressed me out, I think my foundation wore off a bit." Shego took a mirror compact out of the stolen purse, and looked into it. She swiped a lipstick from the bag as well. It was a dark plum color…it would do. She glided some of the creamy color on her lips, and sat down.

Duff shook his head. "Women…eh don't understand te need te apply tha' shit on yer face."

Shego raised an eyebrow. "Conservative much?"

Just then, the waitress arrived at their table. She was a beautiful young woman in her late twenties. Her hair was short and a golden blonde color. Her skin was flawless, her smile was radiant, and her eyes the color of the Hawaiian ocean.

"Hi, my name is Adrianna and I'll be your server today. Can I start you guys off with any drinks?"

"Water." Camille and Shego said in unison. They looked at each other with a half-hate-half-surprised glare.

"Okay, two waters for the two ladies. And for you, sir?"

Duff had his hand over his mouth, staring at the menu with difficulty, like he was reading a language he couldn't understand. He grumbled and simply muttered his usual when-in-doubt drink. "Scotch. Johnny Walker Blue."

"On the rocks or neat?"

"Neat."

"Sure, one glass?" the waitress scribbled on her notepad.

"No. One glass an' one bottle…te start with."

The waitress looked stumped. She shifted the weight on her hip uncomfortably. Never in her life had one man asked for such an expensive bottle of liquor. She wondered who he was and if he was rich or important.

"Sir…that's a very expensive bottle…"

"Dye carry it?"

"…yeah, we have it."

"Then I'll take it. Eh know how much it is."

"O-okay…two extra glasses or…?" she looked at his two companions.

Duff looked at them. Camille looked confused and Shego looked disgusted. "Err…nae, jus' one."

"Um….ok. I'll go ahead and…get those drinks for you…"

The waitress awkwardly walked away, mystified.

Shego and Camille were looking at Duff with completely different expressions, waiting for some explanation.

"Way to lay low." Shego snapped sarcastically.

"Whut? Eh can't enjoy eh drink?"

"Not a whole _bottle_ of Johnny Walker Blue! The people here are going to be suspicious!"

"Why is it suspicious?" Camille asked.

"Because the damn bottle costs about two hundred and fifty dollars, and for one person? They're going to want to know who you are! You don't have I.D. on you, and the only money we have right now is a stolen credit card! That's why!"

"Eh have money."

"What? How?" Shego raised an eyebrow. Did he steal a wallet or something, too?

Duff pointed to the front of the restaurant. "There's an ATM. Eh withdrew money from one of meh bank accounts. Relax, we're nae goin' te get caught." Duff leaned back in his chair. "We're here te eat an' celebrate."

"How'd you get your ATM card?" Camille asked.

"Eh had it hidden, an' they didn't find it."

Camille smirked. "Smooth." She said it to herself, but the others heard and ignored it.

"Your bank accounts aren't secure? What, you have like a Chase account or something?" Shego asked.

"Eh have different accounts in different countries."

"And none of them were closed from suspicious activity? Like large amounts of stolen money?"

Duff raised an eyebrow. "Eh don't operate like ye an' Drakken do. Eh don't steal any money. Eh own businesses. Meh money is perfectly earned an' legal."

Shego laughed hard on that one. "Oh, _please._ And what kind of business do _you _own? What, you have a golf ball factory on that island of yours?"

Before Duff could insult her back, the waitress returned with a tray of two waters, an empty glass and a bottle of Johnny Walker Blue Label. She set the two waters in front of Camille and Shego, and the bottle and empty glass in front of Duff. When she finished, the manager of the restaurant came up to the table.

_Oh, no. _Shego thought.

"Hello ladies, sir." He began. "I just wanted to personally hope you enjoy such a fine bottle of Scotch. Is tonight a special occasion?"

"Sort of." Duff answered. "Meh two friends an' eh jus' graduated from te university."

"Oh, which one, the one not too far from here, right near the prison?"

Shego's heart jumped.

"Aye. Tha's te one."

"And what are your majors?" the manager seemed genuinely interested, which helped Shego calm a little. But she had a hunch he was just pressing questions.

"Eh graduated wit Medicine, Ashley 'ere graduated wit Theatre," he pointed to Camille. "an' Megan graduated wit….Education."

Shego froze. _Did he know I wanted to be a teacher when I was younger? _

"Well congratulations, all of you." The manager smiled. "And from your accent I'm assuming you are from Scotland?"

"Aye, tha' eh am." Duff smiled. "Nothin' makes me feel right at home then eh wee Johnny Walker." The two men shared a laugh. "Thought tonight eh would go all out an' order te best label. It's eh shame meh friends don't drink scotch, though. They'd be missin' out!"

The manager smiled again. "Absolutely." Then, his smile faded. "Unfortunately, sir, I hate to ruin your celebration, but on policy we would require an imprint of your credit card for the bottle, because it is so expensive. Surely you understand we must take some security measures?"

"Not eh problem. Only eh'll be paying fer te dinner in cash. Eh don't believe in credit cards." Duff didn't want the man to see his name on the card. "Eh can give ye te money now if ye like." Duff fished into his pocket and pulled out a wad of twenties. "Ye can jus' bill me now fer te bottle an' bill me later fer te rest of te dinner." He swished between bills as he counted. _Twenty, forty, sixty, eighty…_

The waitress produced a slip and handed it to the manager. He showed it to Duff. "Thank you for your cooperation. Not that we find you suspicious, but we have had incidents where many drinks are ordered and the customer runs without paying. Such an expensive bottle, we…"

"Don' worry about it. Eh understand completely." He handed the man nearly three hundred dollars. "Keep te change."

The man handed the money to the waitress and whispered something in her ear, probably asking her to check the bills for counterfeit. "Thank you sir. What was your name again?"

Duff paused for a moment, like he wasn't prepared to give a fake name, and was uncomfortable saying it. "Rene…Rene Kale."

The manager extended his arm and shook 'Rene's' hand. The waitress came back and nod her head. The bills were good.

"It was a pleasure doing business with you Mr. Kale. Enjoy your dinner ladies." He smiled and walked away.

Without a single word from either women, Duff pulled the seal on the bottle and pulled the cork. He poured himself a glass and lifted it. "Cheers." Camille clunked her water with his, but Shego remained immobile.

The waitress came back to their table. "Are you all ready to order your food?"

"I'll have the eggplant parmigiana." Camille said first. "I'm _starving_._" _

The waitress Adrianna wrote that down. "And for you, ma'm?" she inquired to Shego.

"Um, I guess I'll have the linguini with white clam sauce…" Shego said. She tried to act as calm as possible. She was still surprised how Duff managed to order that bottle so…_smoothly_ as Camille put it.

"Okay, that's really good here. And you sir?"

Again, Duff stared at the menu like it was a different language. He didn't answer the waitress for a good minute. "Sorry, ehm nae used te eatin' Italian food…whut would ye recommend?"

"Oh, well are you looking for meat, fish, no meat?"

"Meat."

"Well, if you want to try a classic Italian dish, our chefs make a mean spaghetti and meatballs."

"Actually I'll have te _trippa alla romana_."

Camille choked on the water she was drinking. She knew Italian.

Again, the waitress was taken aback. No one orders the tripe. _No one. _

"Err…sure." She wrote that down too.

"Really, Duff? Really?" Shego said.

"Whut? It's te closest thing te whut eh normally eat."

"Ew…" Camille whispered.

"I'll…um…okay thanks. It'll be out soon." The waitress scurried away.

"Are you like this at every restaurant?" Shego asked him. "Obnoxious and disgusting?"

"It's nae obnoxious if eh like eh good drink, one eh can afford. An' it's nae disgusting te order offal. People eat it. If tey didn't, tis restaurant wouldn't sell it."

"And do you always order a whole bottle of liquor?"

"If eh want it. Eh don't usually go out."

"But you usually stay in your castle and drink."

"Aye, ye hit it right on te mark. Congratulations, Shego, ye uncovered meh life's story."

"So…what, you're an alcoholic?" Camille asked. Her voice was low and afraid. Her father was the same way.

"Ye could say tha'." He took a long sip and drained his glass. He refilled it.

"No wonder you're so crazy. All that alcohol must be getting to your head, Duff. I mean…your big plan for revenge on your little golfing buddies was to cover the world _with grass_."

"Nae, eh tink tha' wus te hallucinogens eh took."

Shego raised an eyebrow.

"But on eh normal basis eh prefer opium."

"You're serious?"

Duff answered by draining his glass again.

"My God, you're a complete wreck." Shego said her words flatly. "Why would you do any of that? You're going to end up killing yourself."

"Eh do it because eh have no reason _nae _te." He paused, and stared at Shego right in the eye. "Ehm nae afraid of death."

He said it in such a way that Shego couldn't roll her eyes or mock him. He meant it as he wanted to die, and Shego knew it all came from pure, essential pain.

No one talked for about five minutes. Shego couldn't stop thinking of how Duff held so many mysteries, and she wanted to discover them all.

"So, like, we're all going back to your castle after this?" Camille inquired to Duff.

"Yer welcome te come unless ye want te be somewhere else."

"I don't have anywhere else…"

"Eh know. Ye told me tha'. Eh wusn't talkin about ye." Shego looked up. "Ye can stay as long as ye like until yer secure enough te find eh new lair or whutever."

"You've never had to move around, place to place?"

"Nae, eh lived meh whole life in one place. Eh couldn't picture livin' anywhere else."

"Well…there's no point in going back to Drakken's last place, it was all blown up." Shego lied, but it was a decent one. Normally, his place does blow up. "I'll have to wait and come up with a plan to go back and break out Dr. D. Or…maybe we can come up with a scheme together."

She was eyeballing Duff. She didn't include Camille in on the 'together' idea.

"Eh don' think yer desires an' meh desires match up, Shego."

_I hope he's talking about villainy. _"You never know, we both wanted the Sinturian project."

"But fer different reasons eh suspect."

"What _was _your reason, anyway?"

"Te project contained eh super strong alloy. It would have been useful tem eh."

"What, to make an indestructible golf ball?"

"Eh'm nae all about golf, lassie. It's just meh cover."

The waitress came back with their meals. She placed the parmesan in front of Camille, the linguini in front of Shego, and the trepe in front of Duff.

"I think I'm going to be sick." Camille muttered. She had to look away. She put a hand to her mouth, just in case her stomach couldn't handle the organ dish.

Duff shoveled in the food with no problem. He kept his manners, but didn't even gag once, unlike Camille. She left for the bathroom.

"That looks disgusting." Shego stated. She's seen worse.

"It tastes fine te me. Don't judge somethin' before ye try it. Te world offers so many different dishes, it's eh shame each region keeps its own. Yer all accustomed te eh certain type eh cuisine, yer nae open te everythin' else. In Scotland, offal is normal te eat. There's nuthin' gross about it. Normal meat is animal flesh, skeletal muscle, associated fat an' other tissues. Organs are simply another part of te body. Think, if no cultures ate te organs, whut eh waste killing an' animal would be."

Shego had nothing to say. He took offense to it, and he was right about what he said, but it just looked….odd.

"Why don't ye try it?"

"What? No way, I am _not _putting that in my mouth."

"Why nae? It's good. There's nuthin wrong wit it."

"I don't think so."

Duff laughed. "It won't kill ye."

"No."

He shrugged. "Suit yerself. But ye should be open te trying new things in life. It's nae adventure if ye don't."

For some reason, Shego thought Duff was talking about something other than the tripe. She wasn't sure what he was getting at, but she wanted to know, and she wanted to work with him. Was this some kind of lesson for her? Was he trying to teach her that working with him would force her to do things she's never done before?

"Fine. I'll try it."

Duff smirked. Shego opened her mouth and leaned over the table. Duff swirled his fork and brought it to her lips. She made a face as the fork went inside, and she closed her mouth over the food. Her tongue tasted the flavor as Duff slowly pulled the fork out of her mouth clean. Shego chewed for a long time, her facial expressions changing like a mood ring. She swallowed. Duff waited.

"It…was….interesting."

Duff smiled and leaned back in his chair. He drank his glass of Scotch and raised it in celebration of 'trying new things'

Camille came back and sat down at the table. "Sorry. I had to…um….not look at that." She began to eat her food, and made sure her eyes didn't wander the table. Shego began to eat her food as well.

Duff finished before them and finished up his bottle of Scotch. Shego watched him, and wondered if he would be getting drunk any time soon. He stayed as sober as if he hadn't drank anything, even up to the last drop.

Duff sought out the waitress from earlier and asked her to bring him the check. She wrote it up for him, a measly fifty dollars in comparison to his single bottle of liquor, and he walked with her to the register. Shego could see them talking, but she was too far away to hear the conversation. She got up and pretended to go to the bathroom. She slowed as she passed them, and hid behind one of the booths to listen.

"Ere ye go lass."

A gasp. "Sir…I can't accept this. A hundred dollar tip? That's more than the meal itself!"

"Don't worry about it, eh've got more than enough te spare. Yer service wus great."

"Oh, thank you! You have no idea how much this means to me."

"Why? Are ye fallin' behind on bills er sometin?"

"Basically. It's silly to say this to someone who obviously has money. This is my third job. What do you do, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Eh own eh few businesses."

_Which ones?! _Shego shouted in her head.

"Wow. I don't know a thing about business."

"Tis easy, just sell things tha' people want. Whut are yer other jobs?"

"Another waitressing job and…um…a little acting."

"Ye workin' on anything good?"

"Um…..I don't know, I guess."

The girl was quiet. There was a pause as Duff looked at her.

"Ye do television shows or movies?"

"Like…videos, sometimes a short movie or two."

Shego couldn't see the waitress' face. Duff had an expression of realization wash over him. He spoke lower than usual. Shego could barely hear him.

"Videos…like…?"

He gave her a look. She seemed to guess what he was thinking, because she lowered her head and nodded.

"How'd ye like te make eh little bonus tonight?"

_Is he asking her what I think he's asking her?_

"What…do you want?"

"Whutever ye feel comfortable doin'."

The rest of their conversation was too low for her to hear. After their conversation, Duff followed the waitress to the front entrance and they went outside.

_That's more disgusting than the tripe. _

Shego sat back down at the table and Camille looked up at her. "Where did Duff go?"

"You don't want to know. I think we're going to be here for a while, though."

"Oh…should we order some dessert? I usually don't eat…like…fattening things but the biscotti looks really good."

Shego sighed. "Sure. We'll get some coffee with it too, I guess."

Camille asked one of the waiters to get them two coffees and two servings of vanilla almond biscotti cookies. The waiter asked where Adrianna went, their other waitress. Shego acted like she didn't know, and the waiter took their order and headed to the kitchen.

Shego couldn't stop thinking of what Duff and Adrianna were doing outside. She half wanted to check on them, but she also didn't want to see what she knew what she would find. In a way, Shego thought they were scheming something, and Duff was going to pay her to do some job for him that was involved in his secret plan. She was dying to figure out what it was. He was put into jail for experimenting with illegal substances, he was reading a book in some strange alien language…it all had to add up to something. Duff wasn't usually a secretive man unless he didn't want anyone to catch him doing something bad. There was a lot about him Shego never knew until he opened up from that group therapy session. His sad childhood, his drinking and use of drugs…Shego wasn't sure if she even wanted to work with him. She didn't know what else of his personal life she would find out.

The waiter brought out two plates with three cookies on each, drizzled with chocolate. He set two cups of steaming hot coffee in front of each girl. He wrote up another slip and put in on the table.

"Take your time. Enjoy, ladies."

Shego rested her chin in the palm of her hand as she stirred her biscotti in her coffee. Camille looked at her.

"Why are you all mopey?"

Shego looked up. "I'm not. Just tired."

"You're thinking of him, aren't you?"

Shego snapped her head up to look at her. "What?"

"Duff. You're thinking of him. I don't blame you, like, how can you not?"

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"Don't look at me like you're clueless."

"Ugh. You're more twisted than he is."

"Because I can tell you're attracted to him?"

"Please. Why on Earth would I be attracted to an alcoholic man whore? He just walked out with the waitress and they're probably doing it on top of the dumpsters!"

"So you're stalking him because you're _not _attracted to him."

"I…I think he's up to something. A plan. I want in on it. And I don't need you around telling him that I'm spying on him so he can feel free to hit on me!"

"He works alone."

"Oh, and how would you know?"

Camille smirked. "It's amazing what you find out when you look like someone else."

Before Shego could ask what she meant, Duff walked back in and sat down at the table with him. The waitress walked past their table and into the back.

Shego turned her head. She couldn't even look at him. Camille, on the other hand, smiled at him.

"Shego claims that you've been screwing a certain waitress all this time."

"Why you little…" Shego jumped up out of her seat and flashed her arms to the side of her body. She was about to light up.

Duff grabbed her wrist…tightly. Shego didn't know he was that strong. She actually winced in pain.

"Sit down." He commanded. Still scowling at Camille, she sat down. Once they were out of the public restaurant, she was going to kill her.

"'Screw' is eh strong word." Duff stated. "Besides, eh consider it charity. Te poor lass needed some money."

"And you couldn't just give it to her? _That's _charity." Shego stated.

"Well if eh can get somethin' fer mehself outteh te deal, then why not?"

"You're disgusting."

"Lassie, eh've lost every ounce of dignity eh ever had fer mehself eh long time ago. Eh don't give eh fuck whut ye think of meh. Every day eh somehow manage te degrade mehself some new way. Eh already know ehm disgusting."

Shego didn't say anything. She figured it wasn't her spot.

Duff got up and put a twenty on the table for their desserts. "Let's go. Te jet won't be here fer another seven er eight hours."

"What are we going to do until then?" Camille asked.

Duff looked down at her, and around at the restaurant. He pushed in his chair and walked towards the front entrance. "We drive."


	17. Group Therapy pt 4

"**Group Therapy pt 4"**

"We have te drive te the address eh set meh jet te go to. Surely eh wusn't goin' te have it land in front of some restaurant in eh suburban neighborhood." Duff told this to Shego and Camille as he drove in the car they stole. He got onto the highway and hit the gas pedal to meet up with traffic.

"And where is that, exactly?" Shego asked. She shifted uncomfortably in the passenger's seat. She didn't like being kept in the dark. Drakken never did that to her.

"New York."

"New York?! As in New York City?" Shego shouted.

"Ooh! We just _have _to drive down fifth avenue!" Camille said.

"So your jet can't land in suburbia, but it can land in New York City? Where were you thinking, exactly, Central Park?" Shego was shocked. Why did they have to go to New York? Did Duff have to go there and do something for his secret plan?

"No. Eh own eh building in New York. Te jet can land on te roof."

"What building?"

"Te Weltcourt building."

Shego blinked. Weltcourt…it sounded familiar. She remembered Drakken mentioning it to her once. It was a business that invented and distributed technological devices. Drakken wanted to keep an eye on it, to see if the business came up with something that would aid in his take over the world plots.

"Why do you own the Weltcourt building?"

"Because eh own te company."

Shego was silent. She blinked again. Was she hearing him right?

"You're joking."

Duff shook his head. He didn't look at her once. He kept his eyes on the road.

"My daddy invested in Weltcourt, I think." Camille said. "That's super cool, that you're, like, mega rich. Who knew?"

This bit of information intrigued Shego. "What, did you kill the CEO and somehow worm your way into his position?"

"No. There is no CEO, it's just meh. Eh've always been te head of te company. Eh started it."

"That's not possible."

"An' why nae?"

"Because…because _you _and _Weltcourt _don't fit. It's like trying to force two unmatched puzzle pieces together."

"Or because ye think ehm too daft te own eh successful company? Te have power, unlike yer blue boss?"

Ouch.

Shego had so many questions. She wanted to know all about his job and his position and the company, and what other businesses he owned or was involved in. Everything about Duff was a mystery. He had power, and she had to admit, she was jealous. Drakken never had control over anything. He had high goals and tried to reach too far with tiny arms. Duff was smart. He had power in the subtle way. Own a powerful technological company, and use that power to take over the world. Was that his plan?

"Why did you start the company?"

"Because it wus eh job. It makes meh money."

"I thought you wanted to be some pro golfer or something." Camille stated. Shego didn't like that she was still there.

"Eh wus, but look how tha' turned out." Duff chuckled. Shego didn't like that he laughed at something Camille said, and not her.

"But did you have a plan, or a dream? You don't just start a business for money." Shego asked.

"Eh did somethin' eh enjoy an' know much about, an' eh made eh business on it. Is tha' hard te understand?"

Shego didn't answer back. The three of them didn't say much for the rest of the drive. They just stayed in silence and were haunted by their own personal thoughts.

They reached New York quicker than they expected, for Duff was a fast driver. It was a miracle the cops didn't catch him speeding.

He parked the car on a street as soon as they were in Manhattan. He had to wake Shego and Camille up, for they had fallen fast asleep.

"We're here already?" Shego yawned, and put her hand over her mouth. "How long have I been out?"

"Long enough." Duff took his cup of coffee out of the car and wiped the steering wheel and clutch with his sleeve. He didn't want to leave any fingerprints. Shego looked inside the car and saw about half a dozen coffee cups, emptied. Duff must have stopped several times to keep himself awake. He could have woken her up, and she could have done some driving, but he let her and Camille sleep.

Duff slammed the car door shut and threw the keys on the ground. Shego gave him a strange look. "Eh cannae be caught wit eh stolen car. People fro' meh company don' know te other side of meh life. Te press don' know tha' Duff Killigan is te owner of Weltcourt. Tey think…"

"Rene Kale." Shego finished. He looked at her.

"Aye. We need te be disguised before we can go in. There will be photographers an' nae te mention cops. Follow meh, eh know eh place." He and Shego started walking.

Camille smirked, listening in the background. She wasn't the only one who had a thing for multiple identities. It comforted her.

"Camille, come ehn!" Duff shouted. She looked up, the smile still glued to her face, and she ran to catch up to them.

They walked north. "Eh know eh guy tha' helps meh out wit te disguises. He owns eh costume shop an' is an expert in prosthetics. He's also one of te only people who knows tha' Duff is also Rene."

Camille couldn't stop smiling. Shego noticed, and though she didn't know why, she hated it.

"…but Camille eh don't have te worry abou'." Duff looked back at her and smiled. He found her power a useful ability, and Camille just smiled back and couldn't stop feeling the butterflies in her stomach.

The place was only on 9th street. They walked in and the little bell dinged. The man behind the counter in the back of the store looked up and instantly a smirk stretched over his face.

"Duff! You look great!" The man jumped over the counter and ran to give him a big bear hug. Duff laughed and pat him hard on the back.

"Damien, so good te see ye, lad! How's ye mum?"

"She's good and healthy. She's been wondering about you, we haven't heard from you in weeks."

"Ehm perfectly fine. Eh'd like te introduce ye te some friends. Tis' 'ere is Camille, ye'd be fascinated about eh special talent she has…an' tis is Shego."

_Excuse me? _Shego thought. _That blonde bitch has a special talent that's 'fascinating' and I don't? _

"Nice to meet you."

"Cam, Shego, tis is Damien, meh cousin."

_Cam? She has a nickname now!?_

Damien smiled. "You can always count on family to keep your secret safe." Duff grinned in response, and paid no attention to the rage that Shego emitted.

"Making another trip to Weltcourt?"

Duff nodded.

"The usual then?"

"Aye. Eh also need te escort these two wit meh. Ehm thinkin' bodyguards. Shego needs te makeup, Camille jus' needs eh uniform."

"Excuse me? I need makeup and she _doesn't?_" Shego yelled.

Duff looked at her like she was crazy.

"Lass…..eh mean prosthetics, eh wig…yer beautiful as ye are but eh told ye we need te be disguised."

Shego blinked. Did he just call her beautiful?

Camille spoke up. "Well I can shapeshift." She bragged to Duff's cousin. "Wanna see?"

Without an answer, she changed herself to look like Damien. His eyes widened and he took a few steps back.

"Freaky, man…way cool." He chuckled. "Makes my job a hell of a lot easier!"

Duff pulled Shego to the side. "Are ye okay?"

"I'm fine. I just don't trust the bitch."

"What does Cam have to do anything with it? Why dye have such problems with her?"

"She's trying to make me look bad, that's why! And why the hell do you call her Cam?"

"It's eh nickname. Whut, ye want one too? How abou', paranoid jealous green lass, ye like tha'?"

Shego glared at him. "Whut dye want, Shego?"

"What do you mean?"

"Eh know yer after somethin'. Whut is it, te company? Money?"

"I want to know your plan."

"Whut plan?"

"Your next evil plot. I know you're scheming something big."

"Eh dunno whut yer talkin' abou'."

"Right."

"Shego, ehm nae plannin' anything."

"Why were you experimenting with metals before you were thrown into jail?"

Duff was silent. Shego smirked.

"I'm going to find out."

Duff said nothing but the expression in his eyes told Shego she had hit the right cord. He was _definitely _up to something.

Within the hour, Damien morphed Duff into a completely different man. His face was thinner and longer, his jaw was strong. He had no facial hair and hair _on top _of his head. He walked out, revealing his new face and wearing a sharp navy blue suit.

Shego's jaw dropped.

"Ehmagawd. You look like a movie star." Camille blurted.

"Or a dashing business bachelor." Shego mumbled after her.

"Thank you, ladies." He spoke perfect no-Scottish-accent English. No one could ever tell he was Duff.

Shego was up next. She went into the back and sat in a chair. Damien began to work on her, and she saw her time with him an advantage to get information on Duff.

"So…you're Duff's cousin?"

"That I am."

"Why don't you have a Scottish accent?"

Damien looked at her. "Now whoever told ye tha' eh didn' have eh Scottish accent? Meh Scottish blood is as thick as te wool on eh kilt!"

Shego raised an eyebrow, and Damien laughed. "I moved to New York for college, and I stayed here opening my own little shop in the city. I visit home from time to time."

"So is it from Duff's father or mother you're cousins?"

"His mother was my mom's sister."

"Was?"

"Belle passed away a long time ago."

"Oh…right. I forgot. Duff said that a few days ago. His father is still alive?"

"Unfortunately."

Shego also remembered Duff's father was abusive. She didn't need to question that.

"Are you younger than him?"

"Yeah. I'm only twenty-six, and I think he's like, what…thirty-one now?"

"Oof. I'm twenty-seven. I didn't know Duff was that old. At that age you'd think he'd have a family or something. When you're a villain getting old just doesn't seem to fit with the job."

Damien didn't say anything. Shego didn't think anything of it.

"Do you approve of what he does? I mean the villain stuff?"

Damien sighed. "I don't think he's that serious about it. He gets involved in a lot of other bad things, though."

"Like the drugs and alcohol?"

Damien nodded. "He's also very…aloof with women. Practically all the women in his life died one after the other, the poor guy is probably conditioned to push women away so he won't get hurt again. Especially after Mary, too."

Shego perked up. "Mary? Who's Mary?"

Damien looked at her. "I'm…sorry. I said too much. I got the impression you two were…close, and you knew stuff. I'm sorry, I don't think he would want me to tell you."

"Tell me…who is she?"

Damien shook his head. "New subject please."

"Ugh. Fine. Well if he hates women so much why doesn't he just turn gay?" Shego crossed her arms.

Damien nod his head approvingly. "I've been telling him that all this time. A man for him can be just as fulfilling as a woman! He just needs someone who will love and care for him and won't turn away."

Shego looked up at him. "Oh…are you gay?"

"Like, duh! I work with makeup for a living." Damien smiled at his own joke.

"Oh…well…good for you. But I can't picture Duff with a….boyfriend."

He sighed. "I know. He likes women, just not enough to be in a relationship. He sleeps with enough, though."

"I knew he was creepy with that waitress…" Shego mumbled to herself. "How many women has he…uh…been with? Do you know?"

Damien stopped applying the prosthetics and looked at her in the eye. "Honey, I don't know, and frankly I don't want to know, but I know it's more than _any_ of us can count."

"That's gross. And he doesn't have any, like…diseases?"

"Nope…you'd wonder why."

"I guess he does his tests…"

"Why do you want to know all this, anyway? I know this is stuff he wouldn't mind you hearing, but not many people ask questions about him unless they have some kind of motive. You like him or something?"

"_Why _does everyone keep saying that?"

"Because it's obvious, sweetie."

"No! I don't like him! I want…information on him."

"Sexual information?"

"Well…no! We just…started talking about that…and I was curious. I want to know his plot to take over the world, or whatever it is. And I know he's planning something."

Damien laughed and touched up her cheekbones with a brush. "Oh, little missy, you have a lot to discover."

Shego grinned. She _knew _he was onto something!

"Then you know? Tell me what it is!"

Damien kept calm as he continued to apply the latex.

"I said _tell me!_" Shego ignited her glow, and the makeup man took a step back.

"Whoa…what is your problem?"

"You know what he's planning, don't you?"

"No, I don't. Duff isn't interested in taking over the world. He's only interested in dealing with the demons from his past."

"What does that mean?" Shego extinguished her green flames and placed her hands on her hips.

"It means you don't want to get caught up in whatever he is doing."

"Which is what?"

Damien sighed. He pinched the skin that crinkled between his eyebrows. "I don't know, exactly. All I can assure you is that Duff's goals doesn't include power. He's a very tormented man. He has made mistakes and continues to do so. He's had some bad ideas before, and they've come back to bite him in the arse. There is no benefit for you to be with him. His actions come from sadness and anger, and you're going to end up hurting him more than he already is. Whatever you think he is planning is probably a misunderstanding."

Shego just looked at him. He seemed to really care about his older cousin. "And what about this business of his, Weltcourt? He designs and sells technology. You mean to tell me it's just a hobby?"

"Of course. He doesn't secretly sell weapons, if that's what you're assuming. He also sells the darker stuff on the black market, but nothing harmful. It's all trading, it's all about money. If you haven't noticed, he has a lot of money to throw around. I think money gives him a sense of power and security, he's always been surrounded by wealth. Ironically, everything about his life has been the opposite of luxurious….and believe me, the last thing he enjoys is going to jail. He's had a few slip-ups, but…"

"Alright, I get it." Shego interrupted him. "You seem to know him well."

"I didn't see him very often growing up, but in the past few years there haven't been many people around to support him."

"I see…and what other hobbies does he enjoy? Reading? Learning different languages?"

Damien didn't say anything. He just looked at her.

"Reading books written in different languages?"

"Where are you getting at?"

"I saw him doing just that. I mean, I give anyone props who enjoys reading a book in a foreign language they fluently understand, but I have never seen anything like what was written on that book."

Damien's was cold and expressionless. "Like I said, a demon from his past."

At this point, the artist was finished. Shego didn't even realize, but when she looked in the mirror she was no longer a female. She looked like a forty-year-old, clean shaven, green-eyed police officer. Damien topped off the look with a police cap. He handed her a uniform and told her to pad herself with some fake muscles and fat to fill the uniform out. Shego stood up and changed in the nearby dressing room. When she walked out, her disguise was complete. The suit was a bit heavy and awkward to walk in.

Shego walked out to the front of the store where 'Rene' and Camille were waiting. They looked up, and when they saw her Camille snickered a little. Duff congratulated Damien on his talent. Shego eyed Camille, unknowingly jealous that Cam could effortlessly be anyone she wanted, while she had to wait an hour for a guy to glue fake skin onto her. No doubt Camille would choose to be a young and handsome officer to guard the rich business owner and villain.

Duff paid his cousin for his work, and Damien accepted it with gratitude. It was no use to argue with Duff about money. He had enough of it, there would practically be no use to argue family was free.

Once Camille morphed into her disguise and changed, they set out on the street again. They began to walk north of the island until they could find a taxi that would take them to the Weltcourt building.

Shego walked slowly and silently, thinking. Duff and Camille were further ahead of her, not realizing she had fallen behind. Shego was in her own head, going over her conversation with Damien Killigan. Duff's plan had to do with that weird language book and the metal. But, something else Damien mentioned struck her curiosity.

"So who's Mary?" Shego shouted, catching up behind Duff.

He stopped in his tracks and turned around slowly, with a scowl on his face.

"Whut te fuck did ye just say?"

Shego was taken aback with his language. He sounded _pissed_. "I asked, who's Mary?"

"Where'd ye hear tha' name? Damien?"

Shego nod her head, and crossed her arms.

"Tha' little piece o' shit don't know when te shut his _fucking _mouth!"

Shego hadn't seen him this mad before. It scared her…just a little.

"Whoa…take a chill pill….he….he thought I knew."

"Ay, he always thinks people know! Whut did he tell ye?"

"Just that you were…hurt by her."

Duff huffed the hatred out of his lungs. He turned around and started walking again. Shego yelled after him.

"Tell me!"

Duff spun around again. "_Why_? Why dye need te know every detail of meh life? Are ye writin' eh biography on meh?"

Shego crossed her arms again. "No."

"Well te only other reason eh'd actually _talk _te someone about meh personal life is if ehm _close _te them. If ehm _friends _wit tem, and eh feel comfortable opening up. Tha's nae ye. Yer nae meh therapist, so _back TE FUCK off_!"

Subconsciously, Shego literally took a step back. Camille stood aside and watched as Shego pathetically made a fool of herself. She smirked, thinking it made _her _look good. _She _wasn't prying on Duff's life like Shego was.

Eventually they found a taxi that brought them to the skyscraper. The taxi driver didn't recognize 'Rene', but as soon as they stepped out of the car, reporters and photographers started to approach them.

"Mr. Kale! Mr. Kale!"

All the words seems like a jumbled mess to Shego. She couldn't understand what one person was saying. She couldn't pinpoint a single sentence. She tried to read one woman's lips, but all she could hear was the mix of everyone at the same time.

_Ugh…fame. How do Duff and Camille do it?_

They were surrounded, and Duff kept silent to all the questions about new promotions and recently discovered inventions. Did the metal experiments have to do with Weltcourt? Although Damien made it sound unlikely, Shego thought it was an obvious possibility.

"Mr. Kale!"

A young business man squeezed through the crowd and took Duff by the arm. He gave a glance to both Shego and Camille, and bid them to walk up the steps and go inside the building. Once they were through the doors, the guards kept the reporters out.

"You looked like you needed saving." The man said.

"Thank you, Gene." _Rene _replied.

"Where have you been? We haven't seen you in weeks. Have you been working on something new?"

"I'm working on it, Gene."

"Right. Well work faster, the company needs something big to counteract the competition. We have to stick to our goals, Rene, remember…"

"_I know, _Gene. _Everyday items of the future for yesterday's affordable prices._"

Shego watched as they talked. She couldn't help but be impressed by Duff's perfect speech. With the disguise, it was impossible to guess he wasn't real. Duff's accent was so thick, especially when he spoke Scots. It seemed like a huge transformation to go from one to the other.

Gene looked at Rene's two bodyguards. "I'm afraid I haven't been introduced to your new muscle." He laughed. Shego rolled her eyes when he wasn't looking at her.

Rene looked at Camille first. "This is…Cam." Then, he looked to Shego. "And this is…Sh….um….Sheldon?"

_Sheldon?! Really? You couldn't get any more lame than that!_

"Cam…Sheldon…nice to meet you."

Shego gave a scowl, while Camille gave off a beam of radiance.

"Alright. Now, down to business…"

"Not now, Gene."

"What do you mean, not now? Do you know how long you've been gone? We need to discuss matters."

Rene looked at his business partner in the eye. "Gene…listen to me. I asked you to run this place. I own the company, yes, and if you need my final say on some important decision feel free to e-mail me. But I am very busy, I am on a schedule, and what's _not _on my schedule is to hang around the building discussing _matters_. Do you make my schedule, Gene? Do you?"

Gene looked defeated, like a wimpy child being told off by his mother. "No…"

"Then you don't tell me what to do. I am your boss, do you understand?"

Gene nodded.

"Good." Rene checked his watch. "Now, I have a flight to catch. My jet will be landing on the roof shortly."

"Oh…it landed just a few moments ago, sir. I just got the notification from roof security."

"Perfect. I'm sorry Gene, but the business…_my _business…doesn't take place at just this building."

"I just hope you haven't been on vacation these last few weeks. We need you."

"Gene, look at me. I've never been on a vacation…ever."

Gene smirked. "Alright. Well call or e-mail later. I need to go over some reports with you. I need your approvals."

"Sure, I'll call later on tonight. Thank you."

Rene and his guards walked away towards the elevator. They got in together, and everyone who was already waiting in the elevator walked out to give Mr. Kale his space. The doors closed, they hit the button for the 85th floor, and began to ascend. The elevator was fast, and took them to the highest floor within only a couple of minutes. Once they got out, Rene led to the stairs, and it took them to the rooftop. Weltcourt guards immediately opened the doors when they saw Rene, and the cold air hit them. Duff's jet was sitting patiently on the surface, and two more guards patrolling the roof escorted him and his bodyguards inside. Rene sat in the pilot's seat; he hit some controls, and the jet ascended without the need of a runway. They were off to Scotland.

"Ugh. An hour of makeup just for ten minutes inside some stupid building?" Shego complained. She sat down on one of the lounge chairs inside the jet and fished out her jumpsuit. She relaxed for a bit before changing. It was a _long _day. "Way too much traveling for me in one day."

After Shego found the willpower to get up and go into the luxurious bathroom inside the jet to change and freshen up, Camille morphed back into her old self. Duff set the jet on autopilot and joined the lounge passenger area, only to find Camille half naked.

"Oh…" Duff covered his eyes with a hand. "Sorry, lass, eh didn't…um…" he separated two fingers and peeked at Camille in her lingerie.

"Sorry, Shego went into the bathroom and I didn't think you would be coming out of the cockpit anytime soon…that costume was icky. Do you have any clean, cute clothes somewhere in this jet? I have a closet in mine."

"Um…ye don' have yer old clothes?"

"Sure, I do. But I _wore _them all day."

"Ehm…eh might have some of meh own clothes somewhere in here."

Camille smiled. "Poppin."

Duff searched some of the raised compartments in the jet. He found a medium sized container and opened it. Inside were some outfits, casual and formal, and some pajamas. He unfolded a flannel pajama set and looked at Camille. He stretched out the flannel bottoms to demonstrate his much larger size.

"Err…eh don' think these will fit ye."

"Just hand me a shirt. I'll be comfortable enough in just that."

Duff couldn't tell if she was testing him, joking, or actually hitting on him.

"…..ye do know Shego is on tis jet too, aye?"

"It's a big jet." She stood up, still just in her lingerie. "We can hang out in the cock pit. I'll watch you fly the plane and we can…talk."

Duff sighed and stretched his arm behind his neck, and rubbed the back of his head. "Camille…why don' ye put yer clothes back on…"

"He's probably not interested…he had his fun earlier." Shego said, as she walked out of the bathroom. Her makeup was off but her skin was still flawless and her lips pale but plump. She was out of her uniform and the officer costume, and now wore a green tank top, grey sweatpants, a black sweater cardigan and was barefoot. She looked at Camille with disgust.

"Camille…eh don' have anything tha' would fit ye. Please dress yerself…ye can shower an' eh'll get ye some clean clothes when we arrive ah meh castle. Eh'll be in te cock pit."

Duff walked away, leaving the two of them. Shego got comfortable on a couch. She looked at Camille in the eye and crossed her legs. "Really? What do you think he was going to do? No…what did you want him to do?"

Camille grabbed her clothes, embarrassed, and headed towards the bathroom. She ignored Shego's questions. "Where did you get a clean set of clothes, anyway?"

Shego smirked. "I picked them up at Duff's cousin's shop. You know, as a villain, you have to be prepared for anything. You never know where you're gonna be, or where you're gonna go. I'm surprised you don't carry a suitcase with you wherever you go, not only are you a shapeshifter, but you're a spoiled little heiress…oh wait. You were disinherited, weren't you? What's the matter, can't afford clothes? Not skilled in stealing? Is that what you want with Duff? You're trying to woo him so you can get to his money."

"Ugh, so not!"

"Really? Then why else get practically naked in front of him?"

"I…I told him my clothes were dirty and I wanted to change!"

"With what? You didn't know if there were any clothes on the jet. You think a rogue Scottish golfer would have a prestige closet inside this thing?"

"Like, yeah! With his secret identity as Rene…he's gotta have some kind of makeup disguise room or something!"

"You think Duff knows anything about makeup? That's why he goes to his cousin! You're such an idiot!"

"Ugh, _excuse _me?"

Duff barged into the room, and it startled them both. "_Whut _te hell is goin' on in 'ere?!"

Camille and Shego simultaneously started yelling about the other to Duff. All he heard was a jumble of insults.

"STOP IT!" Duff yelled. The girls shut up immediately. He fumed at them both. "We're gonna be on tis plane fer te next seven or eight hours or so, so eh would _appreciate _it if ye two would get along! An' if ye don' think ye can do tha', then yer welcome te jump outteh te fucking plane! Jus' shut yer mouths an' take naps er sometin!" He looked at Camille. "Eh thought eh told ye te get dressed? Eh don' want ye walkin' inte meh castle half naked! Show some fucking dignity!"

Camille was hurt. She took a blanket on one of the chairs and wrapped it around her. She looked down and tried to hide the tears that formed in her eyes. He was right…where was her dignity? She remembered this morning, when she was still in jail, and the guard was hovering over her…

She ran into the bathroom, taking her clothes with her. Duff glanced at Shego, and she had nothing to say, so he returned to his station.

_Eight hours later….._

The rest of the flight was silent. Shego took a nap like Duff suggested, and Camille stayed in the bathroom for most of the time, until Shego woke up and had to get inside. So, Camille just sat down and stared out the window and watched the clouds, and when they lowered, she watched the ocean pass under her, and she viewed the green landscape of Scotland, and how they soared over the coast until she started seeing little islands, and one that was home to a large, ancient castle.

They landed on the lawn and Duff led the two in the castle. It was dark and gloomy inside, but it had a warmth to it. The big stone doors closed behind them and made Camille jump.

"Alright…make yerselves comfortable. Te kitchen is right there, an' there are eh few bathrooms in te area, one right o'er there, an' one jus' up te stairs te yer right. There are hundreds of empty rooms in te castle, but eh recommend te get one close te the main quarters, because it's easy te get lost."

Duff walked upstairs and into one of the bathrooms to wash up. In the main foyer, Camille sat down on the couch and watched the embers of a large fireplace struggle to stay lit. Shego looked around and wondered where to search first for Duff's hidden work. She thought she would start by finding his bedroom and looking there, while he was in the bathroom. _Everyone _hid their secret stuff in their bedrooms.

Shego walked just up the stairs and looked at each door in the short hallway. She tried the door on her right…it was locked. What was in there? She tried the door on the left side…it opened easily and revealed a small but cozy room. A queen bed was surrounded by large bookshelves that covered the wall, leaving room only for the bed's headboard. A chest lay at the foot of the bed. Opposite the bed was a TV, a desk and a dresser. Before the window was a table, and a fish bowl stood on it. Shego started with the chest. It was locked, but that was not a problem. She lit her hands and snatched the lock right off. Inside were some old photos of what seemed to be Duff when he was young and a girl, slightly younger than him. There were letters, golf medals and trophies, and more pictures of some baby. Shego looked for any hidden compartments in the chest, but nothing looked suspicious. There were no blueprints or lists or paperwork of any kind. She closed the chest and searched his desk. Nothing.

Shego heard an unexpected knock on the door. She spun around to see Duff, with nothing on but a towel around his waist. "Eh didn't mean ye could use _meh _room." He shut the door.

Shego dropped the papers in her hand…nothing but personal notes and writing…when she saw his bare skin. Her cheeks flustered and she stammered. "I was j-just..umm…."

"Looking fer meh big evil plot? How many times do eh have te tell ye eh don' have one?"

"I know you do." Shego couldn't find any evidence…yet. If only she could find something with that strange language on it. He had to have a lab somewhere…

Duff approached her, and reached his arm behind her. She jumped uncomfortably, but realized she was standing in front of his dresser, and he was just reaching for the drawer. He pulled out some clean clothes. "Well it's eh good thing ye didn't find meh _other _bedroom."

"Huh?" she looked at him. "You have another one?"

"Aye," he chuckled. "but eh don' think ye'll find anything yer lookin' fer in there."

Shego crossed her arms. "And why's that?"

"If te smell doesn't tell ye, yer bound te find out soon enough once ye start snoopin."

She wasn't too sure, but she thought he was referencing to something sexual.

"You're disgusting, you know that, right?"

"Get outteh meh room Shego, unless ye'd like te watch me undress."

Duff laughed at the horrified look on her face. He was saying these things to her on purpose. It was amusing to him. He knew it made her uncomfortable.

Shego fled the room. She tried to shake her thoughts and peeked in the other rooms. There were two bedrooms on the left side of the hallway after Duff's room, all vacant. A bathroom was across the hall and another empty room, not quite a bedroom, not quite of anything, like Duff couldn't figure out what he needed _another _room of. She tried the locked door again. She figured she could break the lock easily and just peek in, but Duff was right across the hall, and she didn't want him to hear, especially since he _just _caught her looking through his 'first' bedroom.

She figured she would search the castle for his lab. Every villain had one, especially Duff since he had a thing for robotics, so there had to be a secret room somewhere. Shego didn't care if it took hours, or days…she was determined to discover his plan.

She went down to the living room and around to the back of the staircase was an infinite, dark passageway lit by barely burning torches. Shego was surprised Duff had torches in his castle, even if it was built in medieval times, she assumed. She seemed to walk for several minutes before she saw another passageway open up to her left. Up ahead, however, she could see there was a passage to the right, and above that was another passageway. She turned to the left and started walking. She wasn't afraid of getting lost, she had a good memory and didn't need breadcrumbs to help her. The new passageway led for what seemed like miles, until finally dozens of doors appeared on each side of the passage. She opened one by one and she didn't discover any kind of laboratory. She came across a few old dungeons, rooms stored with ancient family heirlooms, and several empty rooms, but nothing led her onto any discovery. She continued walking and began to surprisingly feel scared of getting lost. The single passageway seemed to go on forever with no end or connecting point, and the stone walls were the same, and the torches weren't lit. She had probably gone too far. If Duff had been using this passage frequently, the torches would have been lit or hot. Shego held onto the one she took off the wall from the beginning, and hoped it didn't die out on her.

She retreated back the way she came, and it seemed like hours later until she reached the passageway she originally took. She made a left and tried the second direction. The way was the same: stone walls, boring rooms and dry torches. She soon gave up and retreated, and tried the third passage she saw. When she looked, the original passageway seemed to be endless with an infinite number of side passageways. Searching for Duff's lab, or any kind of clue, seemed hopeless.

As she went down the third way, her torch gave out. She threw it to the ground, trying not to feel spooked or intimidated by the castle's dark and cold feel, she lit up her hands and continued walking. She eventually came across a door that seemed slightly different than the others. She tried opening it and it wasn't locked. She was instantly hit by a chill as she walked in and her foot touched metal grate. She got excited and thought she found his lab. Her glow didn't cast much light in the room, and she suspected the lab to be large, so the machines or objects wouldn't reflect the light at a distance. She scanned the wall for a light switch. As she turned it on, she jumped in fear. She was caught completely off guard and subconsciously thought for a second that she was drowning. She stared straight into the ocean waters.

The wall was an enormous piece of glass, an aquarium, that allowed her to see an underwater canyon resting on the ocean bed. Seaweed waved through the water and tiny fish swam about. She wondered why Duff had such a huge glass showing her the ocean with nothing exciting to view. No sharks or large, abnormal fish…she felt like there was something missing.

She walked down the steps and surrounding her was metal grate. The floor was a raised platform, and the true floor was nearly a foot below. The rest of the walls were covered with pipes. The only interesting thing that occupied the room other than the glass was a podium which featured a giant red button.

Drakken always used to tell her never to push the 'red button'. Usually he added this special accessory to his doomsday devices as an emergency stop, or something extreme. Shego always thought it was an idiot thing to do, because Kim or Ron would always just press it and _poof!_, their planning and hard work was foiled.

Shego wanted to press the button and was curious of what would happen. She was almost afraid of the glass breaking and the ocean rushing in to flood the castle and sink it like Atlantis. Part of her was sure that would happen, and the other part of her told her it was a stupid, pointless idea that made no logical sense. Why would Duff put a button there?

Before she could clear the situation in her mind, she didn't know why she did it, but she just pressed it. She braced for her death, but the only thing that happened was the ping of a sonar. To the side of the podium, a radar screen lit up, and there was a large white dot that got closer to the center with each ping. What was coming closer? The unknown frightened her, and the dot got closer. She looked through the glass and could faintly see something blurry through the water swim towards her. It moved unlike any fish or whale or mammal she's ever seen, and she couldn't guess its identity. It swam closer, and appeared bigger, and bigger, and clearer.

Shego's eyes widened as she saw the monster's jaws widen and its teeth shine through the clear water. It had scales, a webbed mane, claws and a large tail. It's neck was abnormally long and eyes even greener than hers. It was the most frightening thing she's ever seen. The monster swam closer, and closer, and because the glass was so clear it seemed as if it would eat her. She heard it roar underwater. Little bubbles escaped from its mouth and the glass shook. Her lungs gave out and she screamed, and ran up the stairs and out of the room.

"_It was a fucking dragon! No…I'll bet it was the fucking Loch Ness monster, Duff's own little pet!"_

Shego ran, blindly, in the dark, without her glow to guide her. She lost consciousness and didn't know if she had gone left or right. She just ran from fear, something that she didn't feel quite often. She had always been brave through pretty much everything. But this topped all her fears.

She ran until her lungs choked for proper air and her heart refused to beat without pain. She stopped and held her knees. She breathed deeply in the dark, and rested on the cold stone floor.

It took her a good ten minutes to calm down. The monster had taken so much out of her. It was completely unexpected.

She was in the dark and got up. She was still a little shaken but was able to hold herself steady. She ignited her hands, and then suddenly a hand gripped her wrist. She screamed.

In defense, she increased the power of her green glow and it traveled up her arms, burning the hand that grabbed her. Duff yelled in pain, and staggered back. He held his now burnt hand.

"Whut te fuck wus tha' fer?" he yelled.

Shego turned around in shock to see him. "Wha—what are you doing here?"

"Are ye kiddin' meh? Eh should be askin' ye tha'! Ye were snoopin', weren't ye! Eh told ye it wus easy te get lost in te castle!"

Shego ignored him. She only had one thing on her mind to ask him. "Yeah well I never knew you had the Loch Ness Monster as a fucking pet!"

Duff chuckled and crossed his arms. Shego could see the green smirk on his face from the glow she casted on him. "So eh see ye met Charlie."

"That _thing _has a name? What in Hell is it?"

"It wus eh gift…from DNAmy."

Now it was Shego's time to laugh. "Oh, please. What did you have to do to get a gift like _that_?"

Duff opened his mouth to speak, but then Shego interrupted him. "Actually, forget it. I don't want to know that. How did you find me here in the dark anyway?"

"Eh don't need light te find meh way through these passages. I've been walking through tem since eh wus eh child. Eh realized ye were missing so eh decided te go look fer ye before ye got yerself in trouble…but eh can see ye already did."

Duff walked closer to her and his face glowed brighter the closer he got. He took her arm again, but now gently.

"…yer shakin'." He commented. Shego was quivering from her recent encounter with 'Charlie', and Duff finding her. "C'mon, eh'll walk ye back."

With Duff's arm around her, Shego felt safe as they walked back to the center of the castle. She still felt eerie, like something wasn't quite right, or like she didn't trust Duff. She couldn't put her finger on it, but it almost felt like it wasn't really Duff standing next to her.

Once they reached the living room, Duff told her it would be best to wash up and go to bed. She agreed and headed upstairs. She had just entered the doorway to her assigned bedroom when she heard Camille's voice downstairs. She hid behind a wall and peered downstairs at Camille and Duff.

Camille had taken a shower and was wearing a loose off the shoulder sweater, and shorts. Duff was sitting down on the couch and she joined him.

"Hi," she said shyly, and shuffled closer to him.

"Hey, how've ye been feelin'?"

"Better, but a little shaken."

"Och, ye've seen Charlie too?"

"Who?"

"Never mind. Whut's botherin' ye?"

"It's…been a long day. I still can't believe just early this morning we were still in jail. And I can't stop thinking of what would have happened if you hasn't found me."

Duff thought back to the guard he found with her. "Nothing happened, right?"

"No, but…" Camille sniffled and her eyes watered. She leaned closer to Duff and put her arms on him. "I still can't help but think of the possibility. I was so scared…I wasn't strong enough to fight him. I can still feel the pressure he put on my wrists, and how he tried to pull my legs apart, how he squeezed my jaw…"

Duff held her and awkwardly pat her back. "Don' worry abou' it. He wus takin care of. He didn't do anythin' te ye."

Camille shook her head. "You don't understand. You don't understand what its like to be weak, and to have a man nearly take advantage of you like that. A woman's body is precious, I feel so frail and innocent and as if my dignity has been taken from me." She was crying now.

"Hey, hey…don' cry now. Eh do understand." She continued to hold her as she cried on his chest. He rubbed her back sympathetically, and out of the blue, she kissed him passionately. Shego, watching, gripped the wall so hard she ripped a piece of stone off.

Duff pushed her back. "Whoa…Camille, eh don' think tis is really whut ye want te do right now."

"Isn't it? I need someone to comfort me right now…" she slid her hand down his chest, gently. "I've been taken advantage of for so long. My dad abused me, my boyfriend cheated on me with my best friend, I've almost been raped…and you are so kind to me, no one has ever treated me the way you do." Her hand continued to slide down his body until it was over his crotch. Duff shifted uncomfortably.

"Cam, listen…"

Camille began to gently stroke him, and held what took shape beneath his pants.

"Mm…erugh…Camille stop…"

"What, you don't like this?" she continued to tease him.

"Mmrgh…eh said _stop_." He grabbed her wrist, and she looked up at him, frightened, like she expected him to hit her.

"I…I don't understand."

"This isn't what ye want. I know it isn't because I'm te same. I've tried te drown meh pain wit pleasure. But then eh wake up te next morning realizing tha' te pain is still there, along wit confusion and an awkward relationship. Ehm sorry, but he care about ye too much te let ye make te same mistakes as meh."

Duff got up, and began to walk back upstairs. Camille was left confused yet touched on the couch. He had said '_I care about you too much_', and it filled her heart.

Shego however, saw him coming up the stairs and felt embarrassed that she had been watching. She grabbed the handle of the nearest door to her. It was locked. Duff was nearly at the foot of the stairs now, and she was desperate. She ignited her glow and shook the handle. It broke off and she rushed inside. The door closed silently and she closed her eyes, her back against the door, praying he didn't see her. A few seconds passed, and when she opened her eyes, she saw a girl's bedroom, and a young girl, maybe ten or eleven with long black hair, sitting on her bed and holding some dolls. A furry Scottish terrier lay asleep on the foot of the bed. When he heard Shego come in, he looked up and growled at the stranger.

"It's okay, Seamus. I think she's eh friend o' meh daddy's."

Shego widened her eyes. _Did Duff…have a daughter?_

"H-Hello…what's your name?"

"Elspeth Cathella, but meh daddy calls meh Bessie, or Bess fer short. Whut's yer name?"

"She…um…it's Sheila." Somehow the name _Shego _feel right saying in front of this girl.

"Nice te meet ye, Sheila. Would ye like te play dolls wit meh?"

Shego smiled. "I would love to." She sat down on the edge of the bed. Bessie gave her a dark haired skinny doll with a sunny yellow dress.

"Brianna wus just about te cook dinner fer her daughter Ruby when she got home from school. I'm playin' Carrie, Brianna's best friend."

Shego smiled. She hadn't done this since she was a little girl.

Bessie imitated Carrie stirring an invisible pot on an invisible stove in an invisible kitchen.

"So…Bess…is Duff you're father?" Shego asked after they played for a few minutes.

"Uh-huh, and he's te best daddy in te world! He loves me so much."

"And what about your mother? Where is she?"

"Eh dunno. Daddy won't tell me, all he says is tha' she doesn't like meh very much."

"When was the last time you saw her?"

"Eh dunno, never did eh guess. Daddy says she gave meh up when eh wus eh baby."

"Well then how can she not like you if she never got to know you?"

Bessie shrugged. She looked sad. "Dunno…maybe there's sometin abou' me meh mum didn' like."

Shego looked at her in the eye. Bessie looked up at her. "There is absolutely nothing about you anyone couldn't like."

"But ye don't know either."

"No, but—"

Before Shego could finish, she heard someone standing at the door. The broken handle jiggled. Shego gasped and ran towards Bessie's wardrobe. She opened the doors and hid inside, covered by cardigans and sweaters. She closed the door but left it slightly ajar, and saw as Duff came in. He looked down at Bessie on her bed.

"Bess, why is yer door handle broken?"

"I…dunno. Eh think someone tried te get in an' they broke it but tey never came in, daddy. I think they were too scared to come in. Who tried te get in daddy?"

"Eh have eh hunch who it might 'ave been. Why are ye up so late? It's nearly midnight."

"Ehm playin' wit meh dolls."

"No more dolls, hun. It's too late. Ye can play tomorrow. Wash up an' get ready fer bed."

"Eh already did! Eh brushed meh teeth, see?" Bessie breathed cold minty air into Duff's face. She was already wearing pajamas.

"Eh see. Alright then," he tucked her in and kissed her forehead. "Ye have eh good night Bess. Sweet dreams…an' no gettin' up, ye hear?"

"Aye. Can ye read me eh bedtime story?"

Duff smiled softly and got into bed. He put an arm around his daughter and pulled her close. "Awright, if ye insist. Eh want ye te go te bed."

Bessie smiled and rested her head on his shoulder, and looked up at him as he spoke.

"Once upon eh time there wus an evil king."

Shego froze. _Are all his bedtime stories creepy_? She got a chill that went up her spine as he began his story.

"Te evil king did some very bad things, but deep down he wusn't all tha' bad. He had a heart, but he only showed his kindness te the only one who loved him: his daughter. Now, no one in te kingdom knew te king had eh daughter. He kept her locked away, a secret, because if anyone found out, tey could use it against him. He wus afraid of his enemies kidnapping her and holding her ransom so tey could make te evil king give tem anything tey wanted. Now, one day, te evil king had eh meeting wit two evil queens from other far away kingdoms. They visited his castle, and one of them wus sneaking around trying te find his hidden room full of secret evil plans, when instead she mistakenly stumbled upon te king's daughter's bedroom."

Shego had turned into ice. He knew she knew of Bessie, and he knew she was in the room.

Bessie gasped at the story. She knew he knew Shego was in the room as well. "How did te king find out?"

"Well Bess, ye see te king is eh very smart man, an' he had all te best security guards in te land. One of tem saw te evil queen go inside eh room tha' wusn't allowed fer trespassers, an' so he reported it to te king, but he wus suspicious, because he knew te queen wus snooping around as it wus."

_Okay…so I guess he has security cameras. _Shego thought.

"An…an' whut happened te the queen? Whut did te king do?" Bessie looked up at her father with frightened eyes searching for hope. "Did he marry te queen an' she became te lassie's mum?"

"No, Bess. Ye see, life doesn't work tha' way. There's nae always eh happy ending. Ye see, te king knew te queen wouldn't keep her discovery eh secret, an' he loved his daughter more than anything, so before te queen could see another being, he killed her in cold blood."

Bessie gasped. Shego found herself gasping too.

_He isn't serious, right?_

Duff continued. "It's true. An' he even _warned _te queen te stay outteh te part o' te castle his daughter wus in. Isn't tha' right, Shego?"

_Ooh…busted. _

Shego awkwardly stepped out of the closet. Her hair was all messed up from being surrounded by clothes, especially Scottish wool. She felt ridiculous.

"Umm…you were joking when you talked about the whole…_'killed her in cold blood' _thing, right? It was just some cute little creepy kid's story…right?"

Duff had locked eyes with her, and his coal-black pupils shot a raging stare right into her. He approached her and grabbed her wrist..hard. "We need te talk…_now_."

He pulled her out of the room, closed the door, and pushed her against the wall. "Whut did ye think ye were doin'? Tis is te last time ehm goin' te tell ye te stop snoopin' te castle! Yer nae goin' te find anythin' yer searchin' fer, an' yer jus' goin' te find things ye won't like!"

"But…your daughter is such an angel. I like _her…_"

"Well no one can know about her. Ye weren't supposed te know about her. Eh kept her locked up in her room fer tha' reason. Whut makes ye so desperate te barge inte locked rooms?"

Shego blushed, remembering his 'conversation' with Camille. "I was looking for your lab…" she lied. "But why keep her locked up? I really don't see how I would put her in danger. Who would hurt her?"

"Because of who eh am an' whut eh do, child services would take her away before eh could blink. All eh need is one person te leak her existence te the wrong person an' she'll be snatched."

"Well…I won't say anything to anyone. I promise."

"Ye better nae. Or so help meh, eh will hunt ye down an' _really _kill ye in cold blood. She's te only important thing in meh life…eh cannae lose her."

Duff's last words were soft, and hurt. Shego felt for him a little bit. She never really had anyone she cared about so much. Drakken was important to her, somewhat, but not to the level Duff felt for his daughter. She was slightly envious of him, to hold that kind of love. She never had anyone so precious in her life.

"I promise I'll keep your secret….but.."

"But _whut_?" his eyes shot daggers into her soul.

"Locking her up in her room all day can't be healthy…she looked so lonely."

"Eh check up on her throughout the day."

"But besides you and your dog? Does she have friends, go to school?"

"No. Eh homeschool her."

"What about her mother? She told me she has none…"

Duff's eyes narrowed. His breath shortened. He held his hand up. "Don't go there. It's a long story…ye wouldn't understand."

"But it must be so hard for her to grow up without a mother or at least a mother figure…"

"Ye don't think eh know that? Now tell me Shego, ye can answer tis easily. Whut woman in her right mind would want te be wit eh guy like meh? Who would want te love _meh? _Marry _meh _an' take care of _meh _daughter? Please, if eh had found a woman who did, eh wouldn't be in tis situation right now. An' believe me eh've tried."

"Well…" Shego looked down. "I don't think you should give up. You're not…half bad. And your daughter is a sweetheart."

"Eh, whatever. Eh've been hurt too many times anyway. Eh'll be fine raisin' her on meh own, eh've been doin' fine so far."

Shego wanted to debate against that, but she chose not to speak. She really didn't have room to talk, she wasn't a mother herself.

"Can I ask what happened? To her mother? I know its personal, but…"

Duff hesitated. He sighed, and the emotion in his dark coal eyes told Shego the memories brought him pain. "All ye need te know is tha' eh got her pregnant, she convinced meh tha' she loved meh, eh wus young an' foolish an' thought eh loved her too, an' then as soon as te baby wus delivered she left."

Shego continued to look into his eyes like it was a work of art she was trying to make sense of. "I'm sorry…"

"Don' be. Eh don' need pity."

"What _do_ you need?"

Duff looked up at her. He wanted to ask what she meant by that, but Camille interrupted them as she walked in the room.

"Duff, I'm getting a little hungry…" she was wearing a long cardigan sweater now, crossing her arms over her stomach. "I know it's late, but…"

Duff looked over to her. "Sure, I'll make ye somethin' small." He looked over at Shego. "ye hungry too?"

Embarrassed, Shego admitted that she was starving. "I'm going to go upstairs and um…get changed." She wondered if Bessie had been hungry too, but she knew the girl was asleep and didn't want to wake her. She was probably fine.

Camille and Duff went into the kitchen, and Shego went upstairs into her room. She stripped out of her jumpsuit and walked into her small half-bathroom. She took a quick shower, just to rinse off, then found a couple changes of clothes in her dresser.

_Does Duff keep all his rooms stocked for guests? And exactly how many guests does he have?_

She found a pair of black sweatpants and a light pastel green sweater. After getting changed she came downstairs and walked in the kitchen. Camille sat down at the small two-seated table, and Duff was stirring a pot over the stove. He was adding chopped vegetables and beans, liquids and spices. He looked like he knew what he was doing. He looked good when he cooked.

Shego sat down opposite Camille, and within ten minutes Duff served them two steaming hot bowls of soup. Shego was a bit scared of eating it, for she knew Scottish food didn't have the best reputation, but after she tried a bite it wasn't bad…just needed salt.

"Aren't you having any?" Shego asked. Duff shrugged and said he would eat at breakfast. Then she realized he was cleaning the pot…he only made enough for two.

After they finished, Camille got up and thanked Duff for the meal. She then went upstairs to brush her teeth and retire to bed. Shego stayed and watched Duff clean up. She liked seeing him cook…she didn't know why.

Before she could realize she was smiling as she was staring at him, Duff interrupted her.

"Like whut ye see?"

She snapped out of her trance and blushed. "Sorry…I was just thinking."

"Thinking abou' whut?"

"Um…" she tried to come up with an excuse. "My mother, and how she used to cook."

_That was a complete lie…my mother never cooked anything but frozen pizza. I hope it wasn't that obvious I was checking him out…_

"Huh…well ehm glad ye liked te soup…"

"I'm sorry I've been snooping." Shego said abruptly. "I feel like being evil and taking over the world is all there is in my life. Every day I feel like I'm becoming more and more obsessed with it, Drakken is driving me crazy enough with all his doomsday plans, it's like a dream I can't escape from."

Duff crossed his arms. "All of us are evil, jus' in different ways. Some of us will do anything to be the world's dictator."

"Right, but after being here, seeing…_your daughter_…I realize that there are greater things in life than ruling the world. I envy that you have something…someone…to keep you grounded."

"Eh don' need Bess te help me realize there are greater things than evil. Like eh said, we are all evil fer different reasons. Eh lotteh people do it fer power. Ehm nae interested in rulin' te world. Eh don' have eh big plan, eh never did…well except fer tha' whole 'cover te world in grass' thing…eh wusn't…um…let's just say eh didn' have eh clear head back then. Eh just do bad things because it's who eh am. Eh get involved in robotic technology because eh've always been interested in te subject…when eh wus younger eh wanted te be eh robotic technician. Eh enjoy robotics…eh'll trade projects on te black market…but eh don't necessarily want te take o'er te world wit an' army of robots."

"Drakken is the one who's obsessed with ruling the world…I guess I've been so caught up in him that it gets to me too. I like power…and I would love to rule the world…but sometimes I think if there is a better life out there for me."

"Oh, ehm sure whatever is meant te happen will happen."

Shego smiled. "You know…you're so different than what I thought you were."

"And how wus tha'?"

"Some crazy, gross, pathetic little man who wears a skirt and is obsessed with anything and everything golf?"

Duff put a hand to his heart. "Ouch…that hurts," he chuckled.

Shego laughed in return. "I know, right…talk about stereotypes. I misjudged you, and I'm sorry."

"Don' worry, lassie. Ehm nae offended…nae really." He snickered again.

"I mean, you have a great big cozy castle, a family…"

"Ehhh…a family is stretchin' it…"

"Well, it's not picture perfect, white-picket fence, but it's still a family. All I have is a crazy blue roommate."

Duff shrugged. "Then why nae start eh family?"

Shego huffed. "Yeah, right. Who would want to start a family with me? I mean it's not like I've been looking but…"

"Well why don' ye start? Ye'd be surprised."

Shego looked up at him and smiled. She enjoyed this…hanging out with this interesting man in a cozy kitchen at 1 A.M. She felt excited, yet calm at the same time. She never had intimate moments like this with Drakken.

She didn't want the moment to end, but she felt pressure in her lower abdomen. "I'll be right back."

She got up and tried to remember where the bathroom was. Duff said there was one downstairs near the living room, and one upstairs. She saw a hallway on the west side of the room, and decided to check down there. The hallway was lit by torches. It was slightly long, but not long enough for Shego to wonder if it ever ended. It sloped down, as if she was walking down a hill, and she could tell not only was she going underground, but this was _not _the way to the bathroom. She could see a large door at the very end, and approached it curiously. As she made her way closer, she could make the door out a little better. It was an old medieval-like arched wooden door with metal fastenings. She tried the handle, but it wouldn't budge.

Suddenly, a touch screen panel appeared at the right side of the door. It slid out from inside a slot in the wall, then straightened out to face her. A deep male computerized voice said "_Voice recognition password." _

"Huh?"

"_Incorrect password. Voice recognition: no match."_

Shego gasped as she realized where she was.

_Oh my God…this is the door to his lab. _


	18. Angel

**Angel**

Bessie Killigan woke up from a long, restful sleep and caught a whiff of something sweet in the air. She gasped. "Pancakes!"

She ran downstairs in her flannel pajamas, her fuzzy socks sliding on the smooth wood floor. She bumped into her father, who was standing in the kitchen doorway.

"Whoa, slow down, Bess. Eh don' want ye te get hurt."

Bessie ignored him, and squeezed past to sit down at the table. Standing over the counter was a young woman. She was in her late twenties and had long, soft golden hair that curled in random pieces. Her face was delicate and soft, and her eyes were an innocent grey-blue, like a sad stormy morning.

"What flavor are they this time, Abby?"

The woman smiled. "Blueberry."

Bessie frowned. "But my favorite is chocolate chip!"

"Yes, but too much chocolate for breakfast isn't healthy." Her accent was American.

Bessie whined and leaned her chin in the palm of her hand.

"Well…maybe I'll mix in just a few."

Bessie grinned as wide as her muscles could allow. "Yay!"

"_But_…you're going to have a nice tall glass of ice cold milk with it."

"Okay," Bessie compromised as she waited for her first plate of blueberry-chocolate chip pancakes.

Abby flipped a final cake onto a plate and set it in front of Bessie, and poured her a tall glass of milk. The girl ate greedily, and Duff watched the woman in the same manner. Abby continued to cook another plate and didn't pay any attention to the coal-black eyes that guiltily scanned her body.

Months ago, Duff hired Abigail to be Bessie's nanny. He came to a realization one day that Bessie was quickly growing into a young woman and had no one to look up to as a role model. Bessie's mother wanted nothing to do with her, and growing up, Bessie only had her father in her life. She didn't have a grandmother or a mother. Bessie had only been off the island a couple times in her life, so the only women she has ever seen or met were the countless one-night-stands Duff brought home in his younger years. Duff was afraid of how this might affect his daughter once she became a teenager. His biggest fear is for Bessie to become the same way he was in his late teens. Enraged from the deaths of his loved ones and fed up with those who treated him with cruelty, Duff indulged in drugs, alcohol, and sex, and evidently he ruined most of his life. He didn't know what he would do once Bessie hit puberty and had questions he felt too uncomfortable to answer. Bessie needed a woman in her life to look up to. Because of Duff's impossible future for a happy relationship and love, he advertized a job in all of Scotland's newspapers for a woman to nanny Duff Killigan's mysterious daughter. The press knew nothing about Duff's daughter, only that he had one, which was released years after her birth.

Very few women applied for Duff's job offer. All of the women seemed to be nothing but hopeless creatures begging for a life better than the one they lived on the street. None of the women were even remotely intelligent, much less inspirational. All except one: an American named Abigail, last name not given.

Her resume was blatant, stating that she wasn't the most intelligent woman alive, though she dabbled in some of the creative arts. She did write about her wisdom and awareness of life, and her history of studying Eastern traditions such as meditation, karma, opening the seven chakras, and other rituals that baffled Duff's rigid, darkened mind. Merely because her character was such a diamond among other coal, he invited her to his castle for an interview. When she arrived, their interview turned into several arguments which opened Duff's eyes to how terrible a father he has been. Though her spiritual background was strange to him, it was obvious that she would lead Bessie through the Hellish years of puberty and womanhood, and help her grow into the beautiful and strong woman Duff solely wished for.

Months later, Duff felt like Abby was not only a nanny to his daughter, but she also took care of himself. Duff became closer to her than he had been with any other woman in his life…they were even as close as Duff was with his sister, Carol. He didn't know what it was about her, but she was gentle, yet firm in her wisdom and beliefs, and he felt comfortable around her. He would sit down and tell her of all the moments in his life, his thoughts and dreams, his past and what he saw in his future, and how he wanted it to change. She also became a motherly figure for Bessie, and the two of them became close as well. They were like a family. Duff felt like Abby was a sister to him, but as the months passed, his feelings for her began to change.

Duff thought he had a natural curse to look at any beautiful woman in a sexual way, ever since his lifestyle of bringing home women night after night. He had tried relationships before, with Sheila, known as Shego to the criminal world, and with Camille León. Though he held feelings for both women, he was never able to achieve the feeling of love. He thought he was in love once before, with Bessie's mother, Mary. He held that same feeling when he was with Sheila, but he knew it wasn't real. Duff would think that he confused love with happiness, but the happiness didn't stay. Both Mary and Sheila left him. Camille wanted to be with him, but he knew his feelings for her would never result to love. He concluded that love was impossible for him. He felt like his sex drive controlled his feelings, and that a sexual relationship was the only one he knew. He never felt comfortable opening up to Camille or Sheila, and only seemed to look forward to sex with them.

He remembered telling Abby all this one night. She said, _"No human being is incapable of love. The energy in your heart has been blocked by the grief of your sister and your mother and grandmother. You have felt their love before, and one day you will lay your grief out in front of you and accept your losses. Your curse is your inability to move on. Once you do, you will be capable of loving again."_

It all made sense when she put it that way. But when he tried to let his family go, he couldn't, no matter how hard he tried. When he lost his sister, it threw him off the edge that kept him sane. She was the only one he really had in his life, and when she left, he was completely alone. There was no one to replace her love, and no one to support him. His grief caused him to act out in sexual ways, and it took over him.

After months of having Abby in his life, Duff noticed changes in the way he saw her. He would notice tiny details about her, like how soft the skin on her neck and hands looked, and how she would smell fresh, yet subtly sweet. He would notice her hair, and how it never looked greasy or dry, it was soft and light, and probably felt cool to the touch.

In the kitchen, while Bessie ate her pancakes and Abby flipped some more over the stove, he leaned on the fridge behind her and stared at the curves of her hips, waist, and up to the curves of her breasts. He shook his head once he realized what he was doing, and sat down at the table. He felt wrong to think of Abby this way.

She turned around and set a plate down in front of him. Three pancakes stacked on top of the other, and Abby leaned over to drizzle a little maple syrup over them. Duff immediately thought of what else he wanted to do with that syrup. He shook his head again.

"Thanks, Abby." Duff looked up to her and she smiled. He caught a glimpse of her lips, and how plump they were. They were moist from lip balm, most likely cherry flavored, because her lips had a slight tint of red in them. He wanted to taste the balm on her lips.

Duff shook his head again.

Abby finished cooking the last of the batter and sat down with the rest of them. Bessie took a few more pancakes and must have drunk five glasses of milk. Duff smiled, and was glad for her health. He thought of when Abby first came along and was shocked at how limited Bessie's food palette was. She had eaten Scottish food all her life…never had an American dish, or Chinese, French, Italian, and didn't know what certain foods _were_. Abby yelled at Duff, fearlessly, and told him how keeping Bessie locked up in the castle with hardly any access to the outside world, even the mainland, forced her to eat 'bread and cheese' all her life. She would say, _"Variety is like a pinch of cumin in the simmering soup pot of life!"_ She introduced Bessie to all foods from every culture, and opened her eyes to life in many ways.

Duff ate slowly, and every now and then glanced up and hoped to see a little syrup on Abby's lips, and hoped even more that he could watch her lick it off.

Duff would often find himself daydreaming of her. Bessie finished up her breakfast and rushed off to clean up and play, and Abby began to wash dishes. As she did so, Duff imagined of what he wanted to do.

_Her body tensed as I grabbed her waist from behind. I put my nose to that space where her jaw line met her neck, and smelled her sweetness. It was like a mix of jasmine and honey. She tried to push me off and finish cleaning._

"_Duff, stop."_

_Nothing she could say would make me stop. I kissed her neck and indulged in her scent. It was like opium to me. I felt like a wild animal just smelling and kissing all around her neck and décolletage. I distinctly heard a dainty giggle forced to be held back in her throat._

"_Duff, stop it now. What if Bessie walks in? I don't want her to see us like this, it might get her upset."_

_I turned her around, and with my body I forced her to lean back on the kitchen counter. "She's busy playin' upstairs. She won't walk in." I didn't give her any time to reply. I kissed her deeply and tasted the cherry flavor on her lips. It was sweet and natural, like taking a bite out of a real cherry. I unintentionally bit her lip lightly, and at the same time my hands went wild with a mind of their own. One second I felt the baby-soft skin of her face, the next I was grabbing the flesh on her hip, then I was feeling the soft curve of her back, then I was grabbing the back of her thigh and lifting it. I wanted to feel the soft skin of her legs. She was shy and never wore anything that exposed her body, but I knew it was exquisite. She moaned, and I felt like a sexual demon that possessed her body. I felt one with her…_

"Duff?"

Duff's eyes widened as he looked up and saw Abby watching him strangely over at the sink. He felt his whole body warm. Under the tablecloth, he reached down to make sure he hadn't gotten too excited.

"You were zoning out, and you've hardly touched your breakfast. Is everything okay? Did you sleep alright?"

Duff felt himself blush, something he didn't do quite often. Lately a gap has grown between them; Duff would be embarrassed from his daydreams and dirty thoughts, and Abby would think something was wrong. For obvious reasons, Duff would refuse to claim anything the matter and that everything was fine. He would make excuses, but Abby knew something was up. She was upset he didn't want to open up to her about it, and often became frustrated.

"What has been going on with you? I don't understand why you feel uncomfortable telling me."

"Abby, eh promise it's nuthin'. Eh jus' didn' get enough sleep, tha's all."

"Like hell it's nothing. I just want to know why you won't talk to me. Is it _about _me?"

Duff widened his eyes. "Whut? No, nuthin' is wrong wit ye."

"Well it sure feels like it. I'm starting to feel uncomfortable myself around you! I can't talk to you without thinking I'm being scrutinized!"

"Uhh…" Duff was at a loss for words. He felt like if he said anything more, she would know his secret. "Abby, please." He got up and walked over to her. He thought about his daydream and how he wanted to hold and feel her body, but instead he put his hands on her forearms and looked at her in the eye. "There's nuthin' wrong wit ye, yer perfect."

Abby stopped fidgeting with the pots and pans and looked down. Duff put a hand under her chin and lifted her face. He cringed and held himself together as everything in him craved to kiss her full red lips passionately. He had never felt such intense emotion for a woman before.

"Ehm just goin' through…some new emotions. Eh haven't talked te ye because eh don't know how eh feel an' eh don't know how te describe it or whut te really say. Please don' feel uncomfortable around meh, tha's te last thing eh want. Why don't we do somethin' tegether later, like watch eh movie or Bessie can join us doin' eh puzzle or sometin'."

Abby smiled shyly. "I'd like that." She put her hands on his chest, and Duff felt like going wild. He exhaled all he could.

He thought up a lie that would make her feel better. "Eh think ehm just tryin' te move on an' lay out te grief like ye told meh. It's somethin' ehm still tryin' te figure out."

"I understand. Accepting loss can't be forced, so that's not something I'm going to do."

He wanted to kiss her so bad. He was too close to her. Duff took a step back and masked his restraint with a smile. "Thank ye. Ehm going te do some work outside today, te weather is nice."

"Okay. I'll see what Bess is up to, maybe she would like to do something new today. It would be nice to take a walk around the island and have a picnic on the beach."

Duff chuckled. "Just be careful Charlie doesn't eat the basket first."

"Don't worry, I'll keep my sea monster repellant spray handy." She joked.

Duff laughed at the joke. Growing up, Duff was attacked by a lot of hurtful sarcasm from his brother William, and Sheila would use it all the time, and after a while, her words seemed scornful too. Abby didn't use sarcasm often, but when she did, she used it in a kind, silly manor.

After getting dressed upstairs and washing up in the bathroom, Duff went outside to do some yard work. The island was fairly large, and he didn't have anyone to come each week to trim the grass and tend the garden, so Duff did it himself every Sunday.

He went over to his garden first, decorated with herbal plants which he used for teas and medicine. He got down on his knees and pulled the weeds and other unwanted roots from the dirt, and watered each plant generously. The sun was hot, and beating down on not only his frail garden but Duff's sweating skin. He forgot to apply sunscreen, which Abby pressured him about all the time.

As Duff got the hose and watered the flowers that surrounded the castle barrier, the hot sun allowed him to daze and daydream again. He felt the cool water from the hose splash on him, and though the water was really ice cold, he only felt coolness, like being covered in mint leaves. He could feel the water evaporating right off his body. It was a strangely relaxing hallucination.

_"Are you gardening?" Abby teased as she walked outside and saw him watering flowers._

_"Aye, eh like te garden."_

_"Since when?" Abby crossed her arms and playfully raised an eyebrow._

_"Eh always did, just as eh like cooking."_

_"Don't tell me you like to sew, too." Abby laughed. Her laugh was as light as a feather dancing on a flurry of wind._

_Duff made a face, half-amused, half-annoyed. Then, he lifted up the gardening hose and sprayed water all over her, soaking her entire body. She screamed from the chilled water. Duff laughed and turned off the hose. Her clothes stuck to her skin and revealed her concealed curves underneath. It was Duff's dirty intention. Abby stood gaping._

_"You did not just do that."_

_Duff just laughed, and stared at her greedily and secretly. His eyes were hungry._

_She ran towards him with revenge in her expression. He laughed and backed up, but she grabbed the hose from him easily. He went down on both knees and put his two hands up, a smile still stretched on his face._

_"Eh surrender!" he gave her a puppy dog pout that said, _'Please have mercy, don't shoot!'

_"Oh no, you won't get me with that puppy dog pout."_

_She sprayed him all over until he was as soaked as she was. She laughed, and he got up to grab the hose from her again. She screamed humorously, dropped the hose, and ran from him. He didn't bother picking the hose back up, but rather chased her down the lawn and grabbed her around the waist from behind. She tried getting away but he held onto her tight. She continued to laugh and scream, and he laughed along with her. When she turned her head to look at him, his face was so close to hers, and immediately, without thinking, he leaned in and kissed her deeply. She froze out of shock, but shyly kissed him back. Duff put his hand to her face and kissed her for another minute or so, completely hypnotized, like it was a dream. Once he pulled back and looked into her eyes, he realized what he just did. Duff was silent for a moment while embarrassment washed over him._

_"Eh-eh'm sorry...eh got carried away." Duff still held onto her, but took a step back and looked down._

_Abby was silent as well and just looked at him. She didn't say anything for what seemed like a long time...too long._

_"...whut are ye thinking?" He looked back up at her with hope in his eyes, still like a lost puppy._

_"I'm trying to decide if I liked that or not." She said. Her voice was too low for him to decipher the feeling behind it. Duff hoped she couldn't hear the gulp in his throat. _

_"I hope ye did..."_

_Abby continued to look him in the eyes, their faces so close Duff could smell her sweet delicious breath. Slowly, a shy smile stretched on her face. Her soft hand stroked his cheek, and then glided over his neck, behind his ear and over the back of his head. She leaned in and brushed her lips against his. She felt comfortable, but was still too shy to kiss the man she considered a friend for so long. _

_Duff lost control once more and kissed her passionately. He wrapped his arms around her waist and squeezed her curves. Her body was heavenly; her lips were irresistible pressed against his…_

When Duff came back to reality and looked down, his flowers were wilted from the pressure of too much water. They drowned in the dirt. He cussed at himself and turned the hose off. He also noticed he was soaking wet. Did he spray himself during the fantasy?

Duff ripped off his shirt and got the lawn mowers out from a part of the castle that ejected out on the side, and was used as a sort of shed. He had built these robotic machines scanned and cut the lawn on their own. It saved Duff hours of time. They were also safe, and stopped their blades if a body was sensed a foot away, just in case Bessie was playing on the island and he didn't know about it. Once he turned them on, they began their route spiraling the island and he went back inside the castle. The machines were programmed to go back into the shed and turn off once they were done. There wasn't much else work to do outside—his boat didn't need to be tended, and his car didn't need to be washed.

He was still shirtless when he walked upstairs towards the bathroom. As he turned the hall, he bumped right into Abigail, who had just gotten out of the shower, and was wrapped only in a towel.

Abby gasped as her wet body hit his. Duff slipped on the floor, wet from Abby's dripping body, lost balance and instinctually grabbed onto her for support, but she lost her balance too, and Duff fell to the hard wood floor. Abby fell right on top of him.

Their wet arms and legs intertwined and Abby's face landed right on Duff's chest. She felt his chest hair, scars and sweat brush against her cheek. She looked up and stared at him, gaping. Neither of them knew what to say. They were at a loss for words. Duff couldn't even get a 'sorry' out of his croaky throat.

"Um…" Duff rushed to help her get off of him. From the position they were in, Duff was easily starting to have a reaction that he did _not _want her to feel or see.

"Wow, um…I..." Abby couldn't speak. She was embarrassed.

"Accidents happen, aye?" he stood up and offered to help. She allowed him to take one hand, while she kept her other arm clinging to her towel. They stood up and tried to explain themselves at the same time.

"Err…sorry abou' tha'…hope eh didn' gross ye out…uh…ye know eh wus workin' outside an' got eh little sweaty…eh wus ehn meh way te shower…"

"Uh, I-I forgot to bring a change of clothes with me to the bathroom, so I just figured, you know, you were outside, I would just rush over to my room…"

The two stared at each other, taken over by complete and utter awkwardness. Then, Abby broke the silence.

"No, you didn't gross me out."

Duff heard her, but couldn't process a response. He was mesmerized by the water dripping down her hair and running down her cleavage.

"I'm…um…going to get changed." Abby said. She looked down in humiliation and walked away. Duff could only allow himself to say 'okay' when she was too far away to hear him.

Duff couldn't believe what just happened. He tried so hard to picture how her wet body felt on top of his during that split second. He wished he could have kept her there, and not allow her to get off. He wanted to see that towel fall.

Duff physically shook his head, and scolded himself out loud. "Stop it! She's not some woman ye brought home! She doesn't deserve te be treated like tha'! She's meh best friend, she's eh part eh tis family, eh care about 'er, eh…ugh!" Duff stormed off to the bathroom with thoughts circling in his brain. He didn't want to feel this way, but he did. He couldn't help himself. He hadn't brought a woman home since Abby came along. Once she began to convince him that he was giving Bessie a bad influence by having countless sexual relationships, he stopped going out and picking up women for good. Eventually he stopped _wanting_ to go out to the mainland to pick women off the street. He soon realized that Abby was the only woman his body desired.

But for some reason, his feelings felt so wrong. And that was never a problem for him before.

_Later….._

Duff had asked Abby to meet him downstairs in the living room to watch a movie. Bessie was invited too, of course, but she said she would rather go to bed early, which was very unusual for Bessie. Duff knew better, that she was up to something, and he figured she would be sneaking out of her room to spy on him and Abby. Over the months Bessie felt comfortable with the idea of Abby as a mother figure, and Duff knew she secretly wanted him to marry her. When he thought about it, the idea of marrying Abby seemed infinitely blissful. He loved the idea of having her by his side for the rest of his life. He didn't want her to leave his or Bessie's life, ever.

She came downstairs wearing a set of flannel tartan pajamas. Her hair, as always, looked soft and silky, and Duff wanted nothing more than to run his fingers through her light golden curls. He could tell she wasn't wearing any makeup; her skin looked fresh and clean, yet warm and radiant. He gazed at her face, soaking in her beauty. Her eyebrows were dark and thick, yet shapely, her lashes were long, thick and dark, and her lips were as plump and irresistible as ever. Her feet were bare and Duff could see her groomed, neutral-polish pedicure. He thought there weren't many people in the world with pretty feet, yet she was one of them. Every inch of her was goddess-like.

"Hey." She said, as she sat down at the other end of the couch. He could tell she was still uncomfortable around him.

"Hey…listen ehm sorry abou' earlier…" Duff moved closer to her. He felt silly dressing up for the movie night. He wore a pair of dark fitted jeans and his charcoal sweater. He was even wearing _dress shoes_. What was he thinking? He hoped she wouldn't notice his obvious attempt at trying to impress her, but he knew even the most naïve woman could tell he had dressed up for a date.

"No, it's okay. It was just really…awkward. I hope I didn't make you uncomfortable."

'_Oh, Abby, ye did te opposite!' _he thought. "Nah, it's funny now tha' eh think abou' it. Eh just felt bad tha' eh got ye all sweaty righ' after ye took eh shower."

Abby smirked. "That's okay. I'm not easily peeved by that sort of thing."

"Tha's one of te things eh like abou' ye…yer laid back. Ye debate yer opinion but ye don' complain abou' te wee stuff."

Abby smiled again. "Thank you. You're right, I don't think I complain a lot…and I'm not complaining now, but I am curious why you look so dapper for such a casual occasion."

Duff blushed. "Eh…uh…feel comfortable in jeans…an' sweaters."

"But what are they, designer?" Abby laughed. "Is that Elsa Clegg?" she tried to grab the tag at the back of his neck. Duff laughed in return and stopped her.

"So whut if eh have expensive taste?"

"Well explain the fancy shoes then, Mr. Expensive Taste."

"Well _some _people, unlike _ye_," he grabbed her pinky toe and wiggled it. "don' have attractive feet."

Abby laughed and tried to rescue her toes. "Well socks are just as acceptable for masking ugly feet."

"Fine," Duff shuffled off his shoes and pushed them to the side of the couch. "Feel any better?"

"I think you stooped down to my level enough, thank you. Now at least I don't feel like I should have worn my Spürluchë stilettos."

"Ye own eh pair of Spürluchë?" Duff asked. He wondered where she would have gotten the money for that…or who gave them to her.

"No, crazy, I couldn't afford a pair even if I had saved all the money I ever had in my life."

"Then eh'll buy ye eh pair." Duff smirked. He gazed into her eyes. He tried to envision her draped with diamond jewelry.

"Not necessary. I don't need shoes with gems the size of my face on them to make me happy."

Duff bravely reached his left arm on the back of the couch, around her, and placed his right hand on the small of her back. He gently pulled her closer.

"Then whut does make ye happy?" his voice was dark and smooth, like rich velvet.

Abby was silent for a few moments, thinking. Her eyes gazed into his and a sweet smile was stamped to her face. "Good movies with good company."

Duff envisioned leaning in and kissing her romantically, holding her close to him and wrapping his arms around her back. She would do the same, and they would melt together on the couch, and forget all about the movie.

Instead, Duff turned on the television, which was built in the stone wall above the fireplace, and searched movies to rent.

"Whut are ye in te mood te watch?" Duff asked. His hand was still on her back. She shifted a little bit, and he wasn't sure if she was trying to shake him off, but she wasn't going to do it that easily.

"Something comfortable." As she said that, the tension in her body released.

"Comfortable? Whut dye mean…like eh romance?" Duff felt his whole body warm.

"I suppose. By comfortable I meant not action or gore or thriller or horror…you know what I mean."

"Right…sure." He tried to sound cool as he thought of the many ways how to cuddle with Abby during the movie. He came across the Memo Pad, and decided on that one. He never saw it before, but heard it was good.

The movie was a romantic drama based on a book by some famous romance novelist. It was about a poor young man who falls in love with a rich heiress after seeing her at the lake. The two have a love affair, and the man claims that he will build a boat for them to sail away in and start a new life. The woman falls in love with him, but they are separated by the young woman's parents and her arranged husband. In the future, an elderly man tells this story of memories written down on a memo pad to an elderly woman. She has amnesia, and the elderly man tries to help her remember that she is his wife, and that they love each other. The movie ends with the woman remembering, and the elderly couple fall asleep and die in each other's arms.

Throughout the movie, Abby got sleepy and leaned on Duff's shoulder. He kept his right arm around her back, over her belly. He pulled her closer the more she leaned on him, and eventually she was laying down on his chest, falling asleep. She was so tired she didn't seem to realize she was leaning on him. The movie seemed to be a blur of voices and light to her. Duff kept her close to him intentionally, and continued to watch the movie to the end. He felt warm during the parts where the young man and woman kissed or made love, and wished Abby was awake so he could kiss her too. When he turned the television off, he intended to lay there and fall asleep with her, but he shifted his body to get more comfortable on the couch, and it woke Abby up.

She moaned a little and nuzzled her face and ran the palm of her hand down Duff's chest. She lifted her head, and looked up into Duff's eyes. By her expression he could tell she was embarrassed, and didn't realize she had fallen asleep on him. Duff was also embarrassed for _letting _her fall asleep on him, and not say anything. He was afraid she would find out he had feelings for her.

Duff's hand was still on her back. As Abby got up, Duff lifted himself up as well, and because he was under her, his movement caused her to tumble back onto him. In that moment, their faces were extremely close. Duff took this as an opportunity.

"Tis is te second time today ye fell on top of meh." He mumbled. He was also sure to have brushed his teeth and eaten a few mints before this movie.

Duff didn't care about his feelings not being right. His lips were closer to hers than they ever had been before. He wanted to taste them, and he didn't care about the consequences. Just one small kiss would be fine. If she reacted the wrong way, he could make some excuse up. They would get over it, and he would know Abby's true feelings towards him.

Duff leaned him, and he felt Abby tense slightly. His lips brushed against hers. He could smell the sweet scent of her lip balm.

Suddenly, three thunderous knocks banged against the large wooden gates to the castle.

Duff turned around, furious that someone interrupted his kiss. He yelled in Scots. "Fa th' heel coods 'at be, at thes hoor, in thes weaither?" It was, in fact, raining outside.

Duff stormed to the castle entrance, and opened the doors ready to get rid of anyone who stood at his doorstep, for any reason. When he saw the young woman with soaked fiery red hair covering most of her face, all his anger escaped out of him, and was conquered by curiosity.

It was Kim Possible.


	19. Angel, part 2

**Angel, Part 2**

_Warning: strong language and sexual themes_

He hadn't seen Kim Possible in a decade. Why would his ex arch nemesis look for him now, so late at night and in a thunderstorm? Duff knew it was something serious.

He led her inside his castle without hesitation. He still hated her for interrupting his moment with Abby, but it would have to wait. Duff tried to think of the last time he saw Kim. It was during the invasion. He figured after Drakken helped her save the world and clean up the aftermath of the invasion, she went off to college, married her sidekick, and lived a happy life. Apparently, some part of her perfect life plan went wrong, and for some reason she had come to Duff Killigan, a villain she hadn't bothered with too often in the past.

"Who is that?" Abby asked. She got up from the couch and came over to Kim. She grabbed the woolen blanket that draped over a chair and wrapped it around her.

"Err…its Kim Possible." Duff said. Abby knew exactly who she was from all the stories from his past.

"…oh." Abby didn't know what to say, but she knew what it meant for her to be here, now.

Duff looked down at the shivering young woman. She was drenched in rain and was also crying.

"Would ye like some tea or sometin, lass?" Duff asked.

"Y-yes…" Kim mumbled. Duff went into the kitchen to brew her some tea. Once Abby helped dry Kim off and change into some clean clothes, she met Duff in the kitchen as he was pouring hot water into a mug.

"Duff…"

"Eh know." He interrupted. "Eh dunno why she's here, but it cannae be fer eh 'hello, haven't seen ye in a while, how've ye been'?"

Duff and Abigail brought Kim her tea and sat down with her by the fireplace. They sat in silence while Kim drank, and tried to relax. They waited for her to start talking.

The first thing she said was, "Killigan…you've changed so much." She was still shaking. She looked up from her mug with doe-eyes.

Duff was taken aback by what she said. "In whut way?"

"I can just tell, you don't seem…troublesome anymore. You look…clean, if that makes sense."

Duff thought of how Abby changed all of that. She brought him to the "clean" and sober man he was today. "Well, thank ye. An' ye look…err, different, too."

Kim looked down. She wiped a tear before it fell into her tea. "Well, how are you? How have you been since you stopped crime after the invasion?"

Duff raised an eyebrow. "Better than ye, by te looks o' it…an' eh didn't stop crime tha' soon…" he mumbled that last part. Kim heard it, but she didn't seem to mind.

Kim looked at Duff, then at Abby. "Is this your wife?"

Duff turned beet red. He stammered. Before he could get a sentence out, Abby corrected the woman.

"No, my name is Abigail. I'm Duff's…housekeeper, nanny, and friend, I guess, if you want a title."

Kim blinked. "Nanny?"

Duff cleared his throat. "Aye, eh have eh daughter."

Kim widened her eyes. This was surprising news to her. "Oh? Since when? How old is she?"

"She's eleven." Duff said.

"Oh, I…I didn't know. That's wonderful." Kim glanced at Abby again. She knew what she was thinking.

"And no, I'm not the mother either." Abby stated.

Duff looked at her. Through his eyes, Abby knew what he was thinking as well. Bessie thought of her as a mother more than any of those 'titles' she mentioned. She sighed. "Well, not the biological mother anyway."

"Whut about ye? Ye marry te daft fair-haired lad? Ronald?" Duff asked.

Kim looked down and her eyes teared up again. "That's why I'm here. He was kidnapped."

"Err…alrigh'…why come te meh?"

"Because he was taken by these strange people. When I asked my old friend Wade to look them up, he couldn't get any information on them, but he could find a connection from _them_ to _you_."

"Whut kind of connection?" Duff looked grave and expressionless. He was afraid.

"He said he didn't know. It was like your name was imprinted all over anything he found on them. There were no files or identification or history on any of the kidnappers, but your files came up instead. At least that's how he explained it…I'm sure it's a lot more complicated in geek language."

Duff didn't laugh at her joke. "Whut did these kidnappers look like?"

It took Kim a minute to collect herself. She was trying to hold back a painful memory. "We were walking through the park one night, and a man grabbed Ron. He was tall, very large and muscular, and his head was covered with bandages so I couldn't see his face, and he wore these dark red goggles to cover his eyes, and a hat. He was strong. Ron struggled, and tried to channel his Tai Shing Pek Kwar, but it had no effect on him. I attacked him with all the martial arts moves I could, but he wouldn't budge. It felt like his body was made of stone. I couldn't stop…Ron was so scared, I could see it on his face. I'd never seen his so scared before in his life. It wasn't something petty like monkeys or bugs, I think Ron felt like he was going to die…" Kim paused to sob into her hands. Abby got up and sat down next to her, and put an arm around her. She shushed her crying away with her soothing and healing voice, and it had a calming effect on Kim. She was able to compose herself after a couple of minutes. She took time to drink her tea. Then, she continued.

"Then the man took out this…dart gun thing. He shot something into Ron's neck and he went unconscious. I've never…I've never…" Kim was gasping for air and hyperventilating. Duff had never seen this heroic young woman he knew all his life so undone. Abby helped her finish. "I've never been so afraid for Ron's safety in my life…he's never been taken from me, in so much danger."

Duff didn't say anything. He closed his eyes, his brow knit together in frustration. His hands clasped together and he hunched over, like he wanted to hide from the issue Kim faced.

"And there's more…"

Duff looked up.

"There was another kidnapper. As the man walked away with Ron, I ran after him and kept trying to make him let go, a woman stepped in front of me. She was tall and elegant, dressed in a fitting black dress and heels. Her hair was blonde and in waves, and she had blue eyes. I didn't know she was working with the man, so I told her to get out of the way and tried to run past, but she grabbed me and attacked me. I fought her back but she was just as strong as the man. She…"

"Stop." Duff interrupted. Kim and Abby looked up at him. "Ye don' need te say any more abou' them."

Kim's eyes lit up. "You know who they are?"

"Unfortunately."

Abby raised an eyebrow. She didn't hear any of this before. She thought these people were something she should have been told about.

"Well…w-who are they?" Kim asked. She put her mug down and stared at Duff.

"Yeah…who are they, Duff?" Abby asked. She sounded peeved, and she crossed her arms. Duff was ashamed from keeping this secret from her.

"When eh wus younger, when meh sister wus still alive, before eh started golfin', eh wunted te be in te field o' robotics. Eh experimented on prototypes, an' eh came up with whut eh thought te be te greatest invention yet. Eh designed an artificial human. Indestructibly strong, no nerves fer pain, human design on te outside but simple yet intelligent design on te inside, eh thought it would be eh fun project ah first, then eh made Drone Number One…Griffin. He's te one wit te bandages…eh couldn't design te right face, it kept goin' wrong, an eh had problems wit te fake skin eh wus usin'…so fer te time eh covered his face up, an' it just stuck as his trademark. At first Griffin wus just eh robot, able te do simple tasks, but then eh stole off te black market eh special program tha' eh could download actual _thoughts_, almost eh human mind inte Griffin's microchip-brain."

Kim cringed a little in discomfort hearing of Duff's thievery. She knew she was too young, though, to have known about it and stopped him.

"Eh kept improving Griffin over te months, an' he became almost like eh real man, without eh face. He became meh lab partner…and meh friend. Eh became obsessed wit creatin' more…te be honest eh liked te company. Then te drones were able te learn, an' they learned te produce more an' more of their kind…eh even got meh sister involved in helpin' meh. Eh wus caught in meh own bubble. Eh never had friends growin' up, so eh liked te group eh friends eh created, even if tey weren't humans, tey acted exactly like it. We formed our own language, like eh secret club would, an' dreamed of our own island, our own wee country te live in peace. Each drone had different personalities…Number Four wus te woman drone ye met, Kim. Eh couldn't think of eh name fer her, but she wus te fourth made, so 'Four' became her name. Now tha' eh think abou' it, all te first drones seemed to 'ave missed somethin' humanly important. Ace wus te third drone made…she lacked humanity itself. She had eh glitch in her programming, an' she became corrupted. Once te island wus formed, she led te drones te eh special way of life, eh utopia, but deep inte their way of life, it wus heartless. Well…eh couldn't blame tem, fer tey didn't 'ave hearts, physically or mentally."

"So why did they take Ron?" Kim asked, frantically. Duff's story didn't help her nerves one bit.

"Tha' eh don' know. Eh'll have te go te the island an' find ou'."

"When was the last time you went to their island?" Abby asked.

"A couple o' years ago…wit'…eh….Sheila." Duff looked down, embarrassed. Abby crossed her arms again, and looked slightly annoyed.

"Oh."

Kim looked up at the two of them with curiosity. Duff saw her confusion. "Known te ye by Shego."

Kim was surprised. "Why did you and Shego go there last time?"

Abby kept her glare. Duff scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. "Err…te details are fuzzy." They were memories he didn't want to revisit.

"The two of them were dating at the time, too." Abby mentioned. She met Shego, and she didn't like her, especially after how she hurt Duff.

Kim widened her eyes. "_You _two, dating? If anything I thought she was in love with Drakken. What happened to him?"

Duff shrugged. "Dunno. She never talked of him." Duff looked up and saw that Abby was annoyed. He closed the subject on Shego.

"How dangerous, exactly, are these drones, Duff?" Abby asked.

"Physically, tey are made from eh special alloy eh created, stronger than any metal. Tey 'ave eh microchip in ther head, which acts as eh brain, an' it's surrounded by eh cube of solid diamond. Getting onto te island is hard enough, because it's surrounded by eh force field. So it's harder te bring any special weapons. Te island doesn't carry many weapons; there are humans tha' live on te island an' tey like te live in peace. So basically, tha' doesn't give us many options fer defense. Mentally, te drones are programmed in certain ways, so we'll have te play around tha'."

"So essentially they are indestructible? What if this Ace character tries to kill you? How can you defend yourself?" Abby asked.

"None of them will kill meh. Tey can't, eh programmed tha' inte them."

"But what if they learned how to override your original programming?"

"Then…well, tey couldn't 'ave."

"So there's no way to kill them? What is your plan, exactly, go there, try to save this kid, hope they don't try to stop you, and if so, you die trying?" Abby fumed so much, Duff expected her body to go on fire.

"Can eh talk te ye in te kitchen fer eh second, Abby?"

Kim sat on the floor, drowning her sorrow in her almost-empty mug of tea. Duff's speech of indestructible drones didn't help her hopes of saving Ron. She thought of Eric, the last 'drone' she had to deal with. But, unlike Duff, Drakken made the fake-boyfriend easy to destroy.

Abby walked into the kitchen, and Duff followed close behind her.

"Whats te matter, Abigail?" he spoke softly, wanting her to calm down. He tried to have the same soothing effect that she had when he was upset, but he wasn't as good at it as she was.

"Oh, don't give me that! First of all, you never told me about this island, and your little trip with Sheila. Second, how are going to manage saving this kid who used to be your enemy; I don't even know why you would offer to help this girl, when you just said yourself the drones are indestructible and it's almost impossible to get onto the island? Why did you go there last time, and how did you get out?"

"Eh went there because eh wus te one who was kidnapped."

Abby looked at him. "You never mentioned this to me."

"Eh never got around te it…an' eh didn't want te revisit those memories of…ye know who."

"What did they want with you?"

Duff was silent. He looked down, off to the side, anywhere but her eyes.

"Duff…" Abby put a hand to his cheek. He looked up at her. He wanted her to hold him. He wanted to feel her warmth. "What did they do?"

Duff remained silent for a few moments. The details were fuzzy, but he did remember the bright room covered with chrome, and filled with pain.

"_What _did they do to you?" Abby was yelling. "Why have you been keeping things from me, what are you afraid of?"

"They just…tortured me." He put his hand on her lower back. "Tha's all. Listen, eh know yer afraid of me gettin' killed, but tey cannae kill me, ok? Don' worry."

"Don't worry?!" she moved away from his touch. "Think of Bessie! What do you think _she _would say?"

Duff couldn't come up with an answer. He knew his daughter would want him to be safe, no matter what.

"What if you _did_ die, how do you think that would affect her? You were all she had her entire life! It would destroy her! I am nothing compared to what you are to her! And what about me? You're okay with leaving me, too?"

"Whut? No! Abby, eh'll come back, eh promise! Ehm nae leavin' ye, or Bessie!"

"Really! Because it seems to me that my opinion apparently doesn't count." Their arms were flailing about in furious gestures, like they were trying to create sign language with their argument, or their arms would help them get their point across, or win.

"Of course yer opinion matters! Yer everything te meh!"

In the living room, Kim listened easily, for they were yelling loud enough for the whole castle to hear. Bessie heard them from her room upstairs, and came down to see a wet redhead shivering from a cold, and a glimpse of her father and Abigail moving about in the kitchen. Kim looked up at the girl.

"Listen, Abby…" Duff took her hands. She tried to take them away, but he wouldn't let her. "_Ye _made meh a better man. Look ah how eh used te beh, before ye came inte my life. Eh would 'ave laughed in Kim's face when she asked fer meh help. But eh feel responsible now. Tese drones were _meh _mistake. Tis lad got kidnapped an' it wus _meh _fault. Tey 'ave te be stopped somehow, or ther jus' goin' te keep hurtin' people like tey hurt meh."

"I _understand _that, but you're going to get killed in the process. You don't have a plan, do you?"

"Nae yet."

"That's because there _is _no plan that will save the boy _or _kill these drones! You created them. If there was a way to kill them, you would know about it, wouldn't you?"

"Well, they do 'ave sort of an 'off' switch, but they'll defend themselves before eh could even get close."

"Where is this switch?"

"Below te stomach area."

"Can't you distract one of them?"

"Tey see meh, an' tey know whut eh want te do."

"Then have Kim do it."

"Te drones saw her when tey kidnapped Ron. They'll know wit her too."

"Then _I'll _do it."

Duff's eyes almost fell out of their sockets. It was his turn to fume. "_Whut? _No…._no…_NO! Ye are _nae _goin' te tha' island, o'er meh dead body."

"Well who's going to watch over you?" Abby crossed her arms.

"Eh can watch o'er mehself!"

"I'm coming with you! I'm not going to sit back and watch you commit suicide!"

"Ehm _nae _goin' te get _killed_!"

"No, I'm—"

"_Naw, _eh hired ye te take care o' Bessie, so tha's whut eh want ye te do! Te drones know where eh live, an' ehm nae goin' te leave Bess here by herself fer _her _te get killed! Yer goin' te stay 'ere te protect meh daughter, an' tha's _FINAL_! End o' discussion!"

"You are _not _letting me—"

"Eh said _end _o' te _fucking _discussion, Abigail!" Duff's face was red. His eyes were on fire, burning with fury. She was not going to that island. He would rather die than put her in that kind of danger. Duff walked out of the kitchen. He was finished, and Abby was not going. Abigail, however, wasn't done with the argument. She wasn't going to give up.

Abby took a step outside the kitchen to see Duff go to his lab to pack things that they could use to help stop the drones. She called out to him. She had tears in her eyes.

"What, you don't think I'm able to defend myself or something? You think I can't help?"

Duff heard the sadness in her voice. Suddenly he felt bad for screaming at her, even if it was in good intentions. He turned around. He saw the expression on her face and it broke his heart. Kim still sat in between them, soaking in all of this.

"Abby, no, eh didn't mean it like tha'. Eh don' want ye in any danger. Or Bess."

"You think I'm useless, right? I'd just be a distraction for you, at best."

"No, Abby, yer nae useless…" Duff took a step closer towards her, even though they were still a room apart. His heart sank deeper with each word she accused.

"Sure, you'll bring along your arch nemesis, because she can at least try to punch and kick your stupid fucking 'indestructible' robots!"

Duff took another step closer to her. "Abby…"

"I know practically everything about your life, except for this of course, but you know what? You don't know anything about me! I've always been the one to listen to your life. You don't know if I can fight, or defend myself, you just assume I'm some sweet, innocent woman to stay at home to care for your daughter while you're off getting tortured!"

She didn't allow Duff to say anything, though he really didn't have anything to say anyway. She was right on that fact—her life had always been a mystery. He hardly knew anything about her. She always said her life was too 'boring' and 'simple' to talk about. Any questions he had about her were elusive. He couldn't even get a background check on her, because he couldn't find anything. It made him suspicious at first, but didn't find anything that would prove her to be harmful to him or his daughter.

"Is this what you've been keeping from me all this time? These drones of yours? The torture? Why keep this from me? What good will that do you?"

"No, it's nae whut eh've been keepin' fro' ye." He mumbled.

"Then what the _fuck _is it?" she screamed. Duff was too afraid to answer. Frustrated, Abby stormed upstairs to her room. When she was on the second floor, she called out over the balcony:

"Fine, go ahead! Risk your life and come home uninjured like you say. Just don't expect me to welcome you back!" she slammed the door so hard, it could have shaken the whole castle. Then the door locked.

"Ughh…" Duff covered his face with the palm of his hand, and sighed into it. He let his hand melt down his face, stretching his features. Kim cleared her throat.

"Sorry abou' tha', lass, eh…"

Duff trailed off when he saw Kim point to his young daughter who still stood in the corner of the room. She heard the whole argument. Her eyes were red and Duff could see shiny streaks of tears striped against her skin.

"Oh, Bess, ye heard all o' tha'?" he walked over to her, wanting to give her a big hug, but instead she ran upstairs, sobbing, and escaped into her room like Abby did.

Duff looked at Kim. Her eyes were dried already from the tears that filled them a short time ago. She was more interested in Duff's life outside of villainy. She never knew about his daughter, and she never pictured him to have a girlfriend. Even though Abby wasn't, Kim considered her Duff's girlfriend, because she saw the way they acted, and looked at each other. If it didn't happen now, it would in the future.

"Are you…okay?" Kim asked. She really didn't know what to say. She needed Duff's help if she wanted to save Ron's life, but she didn't want to risk _his _life either.

"Ehm fine. Come wit meh te my lab, eh'll start packin' some things we'll need an' eh can answer any questions ye 'ave about te drones."

Kim got up, put the blanket back on the couch, and put her empty mug down on the table. "Thanks for the tea, by the way. What kind was it?" the two of them walked down a murky hallway lit by candles.

"An herbal blend Abigail made, ehm nae too sure whuts in it, but she said it's calming. She knows plants."

"Soo…are you two…" Kim raised an eyebrow.

"Och, lass, can ye ever mind ye own business?" he gave her an annoyed look.

"Sor_ry_, geez. Well can I ask one thing?"

Duff sighed. They got to the lab door. Duff waved his hand to the side, and a panel popped out of the wall. He put his hand on a scanner, and the computer confirmed identity match. The door opened.

"Whut?" he responded. They walked in, and the door closed behind them.

"Does she know you're in love with her?" Kim put her hands on her hips.

Duff sighed again. "No."

"Then why haven't you told her?"

"Because eh don' think she feels te same."

"Oh, I think so. She wouldn't care so much about you going to this island if she didn't." Kim sat down in a chair. She felt sympathetic towards her old ex-foe. She saw him for what he really was, for a human being, and she felt like being a friend to him.

"Och, eh dunno…" Duff turned his back to her. He felt embarrassed. "Whuts te like?"

"Well…I can't say I know you too well personally, you know…besides what I knew of you as a villain, but from what I saw just now, you are a very caring man that wants to protect the people he loves, and I think that says a lot."

"Eh wusn't always tha' way. Eh used te be eh terrible father." Duff mumbled. His back was still to Kim.

"Well what matters is that you've changed. Do any of the other villains have kids I don't know about?"

Duff chuckled. He turned around to face her. "Let's just talk abou' te drones fer now, aye?"

"Well what does that mean?" Kim pouted and crossed her arms. "Who else has kids?"

"Lass, eh moment more ye waste gossiping, is eh moment less we 'ave te save yer friend."

Kim fell silent again. Then, she mumbled, "He's more than a friend."

"Eh know." Duff got out a scroll of paper from a cabinet, opened it up, and stretched it out on a desk. Kim came over to look at the map of the island.

"So let's come up wit eh plan te save yer lad, an' get rid o' t'ese fuckers."


	20. Angel, part 3

**Angel, part 3**

Abby heard a knock at her door. She got out of bed and shouted, "Who is it?"

"It's me," mumbled a faint little voice. She heard Bessie sniff behind the other side of the door. Abby opened her door and let the girl in. Bess ran over to Abby's bed and got under the covers. Abby joined her, and they hugged. Bessie cried on her chest.

"Eh don' want him te die, Abby! Tell him nae te go!" she reached her arm over Abby's back and tried her best to pull her closer. She was so afraid of her father leaving her, her whole body was shaking.

"Shh…it's okay. I won't let that happen. I'm sorry you had to hear everything you did. Your father wants me to stay here and protect you, but they couldn't get to you if you stayed in the safe room he built for you. He doesn't want _me _to get hurt, but he doesn't know the first thing about I can help!"

"Eh don' want either o' ye te go! Eh cannae lose both o' ye!" Bessie cried harder. "Abby…eh think o' ye as meh Ma. Ye've always been ther fer meh, even if it's only been eh year."

"Oh, Bess, I think of you as a daughter." She held Bessie for a few moments and let her cry some more. She shushed her and sang to her, as she stroked her long black hair. "No matter what, I'm not allowing your father to die. I promise."

The two of them stayed like that for the rest of the night. They fell asleep in each other's arms peacefully.

The next morning, Abigail was up early, cooking oatmeal for everyone. She was still infuriated with Duff, but she had too much of a heart to leave him without breakfast. She poured a bowl for herself and Bessie, and left the rest in the pot for Duff and Kim. She figured Kim stayed in one of the guest rooms, and Duff was up all night planning. When he is frustrated with a task, he doesn't sleep.

"Can eh eat in meh room teday, Abby?" Bessie asked.

"Sure, honey. You have my permission." She felt bad for the poor girl, she didn't want to see her drip tears in her oatmeal.

Kim came in a few minutes later. The two women made eye contact, and Kim immediately looked down in shame. She saw the oatmeal in the pot and felt her stomach gurgle.

"Go ahead, take some." Abby mumbled.

"Thank you for making me some. The tea yesterday was great as well." Kim kept her voice low. She knew Abby didn't like her.

"Help yourself to some. The teas are in the canisters above your head, in the cabinet.

Kim didn't help herself just yet. She sighed, and turned around to face her.

"Look, I know you don't like me for asking Duff to do this…"

"No, you're not the one I'm mad at." Abby snapped. "Duff is the one I'm mad at. I'm not mad at you for asking for his help. I understand. I'm mad that Duff never told me about these drones, and for refusing to let me come along."

"He just wants to protect you."

"And _I _want to protect _him_! Kim, you don't understand the level of…"

Just then, Duff walked in. He looked tired and worn, like old leather.

"Stay up all night, huh Duff?" Abby snapped at him like a viper.

Duff sighed. He was too tired to argue. "Abby, please…"

"Forget it." She slammed her spoon down on the table and walked out of the kitchen, just like that. Her anger was much more than her hunger. She couldn't look at Duff anymore. She was afraid to miss him.

Duff moaned. He looked at Kim, who gave him a sympathetic look. She offered to make tea for two. He declined.

"Eh need coffee. Black."

He sat at the table and waited for his coffee. "You know there's oatmeal Abby made." Kim said.

Duff just grunted. Kindly, Kim poured him a bowl and set it in front of him. "She's a great cook, you know."

Duff grunted lower this time. He didn't touch the oatmeal. He needed coffee.

Kim sighed as she searched for the coffee grinds. Duff pointed to the right blend, weakly. She started brewing the pot, and Duff poked the oatmeal with his spoon.

"Aye, she is eh good cook." He mumbled to himself. He remembered when he was a kid and how he loved to learn cooking from his mother. Abby often cooked the same recipes his mother made, simply because she knew he loved it. Duff loved _her _for doing that.

Once Kim finally handed him his mug, he gulped it down like it was water. He got up, opened a cabinet, took out some whiskey, and poured a little in his coffee. Kim watched but didn't say anything. He put the bottle back, knowing Abby would yell at him more for seeing it out, and he didn't want Bessie to see it.

Duff laughed a little to himself as he sat back down. "Eh used te do tha' all te time. eh'd pour whisky in anythin' eh could think of."

Kim looked at him but remained silent. She didn't know what _to _say to something like that.

"Eh used te be an alcoholic before eh hired Abby. Eh drank meh life away fer years. Eh wus worse than meh Pa."

"…oh." Kim said. She was still speechless. Duff thought of when he would tell Abby these things. They would sit comfortably on the couch late at night and he would open up to her. She spoke out her opinion, sympathized with him, and defended him. He could tell her anything. Figures, the one thing he wasn't ready to say yet, was what the drones did to him that day.

After breakfast, Duff and Kim went back into the lab to discuss the plan for an hour or so. They would disguise as drones and spy around the island to find out where Ron was taken. They would take over the island's submarine, and escape with Ron. They could convince a drone somehow that they needed updated programming required by Ace, and instead reprogram the drone to help them with their plot somehow. The plan was dry, and there wasn't much to rely on, but it was a basic outline that could easily work, if they played the cards right.

"I think it's always best to leave a plan open, because you never know what might happen and interfere." Kim said. "Expect the unexpected on any mission."

Once they were ready, Duff told Kim to go outside and wait by the beach.

"Charlie will transport us, it's te safest way te be undetected. We'll travel underwater so tey cannae see us, an' eh 'ave eh special ray tha' can stun their radars so tey cannae find us underwater, but we'll still 'ave te work fast."

"Who's Charlie? Our ride? Does he own a submarine?"

"Err…nae exactly. Just wait outside an' eh'll meet ye in eh wee bit, lass."

"Ookay," Kim grabbed their bag, packed with devices that will help them, and headed towards the beach.

Duff took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. He walked upstairs and knocked on Abby's door. He waited a moment—there was no answer. He knocked again.

"Abby? Ye in there?" again, he waited. There was no answer.

"Abby eh know yer in ther…" he waited, and waited.

"Look, ehm gonnae be leavin' now, an' eh want te say goodbye."

Slowly, the handle turned and the wood creaked as the door opened. Duff looked through the small slit and saw Abby looking at him with hopeless eyes. She opened the door wider, and fully looked at him. Duff looked inside and saw Bessie was in there too, sleeping.

"She okay?" Duff asked.

Abby quietly stepped outside and closed the door behind her. "She's tired. Not from a lack of sleep but…I just don't think she wants to be conscious, and think, if you can understand that."

"Ehm sorry, but tis is somethin' eh 'ave te do. Eh'll be back fer te two o' ye." Duff kissed her cheek, which made Abby blush. He then opened the door again, and walked into the room to say goodbye to his daughter.

"Bess?" he put a hand on her arm and shook her a little. She moaned from being woken up.

"Bess eh'm leavin' now." She got up when she heard this, fighting back tears.

"Daddy, please come back." Her eyes shimmered.

"Eh will, sweetie, eh promise eh will." He hugged her tightly and kissed her cheek. Bessie sniffed and continued to hold back tears. Before he walked away, she grabbed his hand and said,

"You're strong, Daddy. Don' ever forget tha'."

This little comment brought tears to his eyes, and he hugged her tightly once again.

"Oh, Bess, thank ye so much. Eh'll be home as soon as eh can."

Once Duff and Abby left the room, Bessie lay back in bed and began to sob again, muffling into Abby's pillow.

Duff and Abby stood in the hallway and just looked at each other.

"Abby,"

"No matter what you say," she interrupted. "I'm still against this, and I'm still angry at you, and if you do come back, I'll continue to be angry. Just…do me a favor and come back. You're too good of a man to lose your life to something so insignificant like this."

Duff didn't respond. He just looked into her mysterious blue eyes. They had a hint of hazel in them, and they sparkled like a golden sea. He could only say her beautiful name.

"Abigail…" he gazed so much he felt like he was going to fall into an infinite ocean.

"Yes…?"

Duff did nothing but hold her in a tight embrace. Abby was surprised at first, but held onto him like their bodies melted together, and they became one. Duff ran his hand along her back. He wanted to feel every single curve of hers. He wanted to memorize her head to toe, and dream of her day and night while he was gone.

Abby felt a little uncomfortable with the way he was holding her, but she knew why he was doing it. It was like she could read his mind sometimes, they were so close. She just wrapped her arms around his back and held on like they were flying, and if she let go of him, she would fall. She felt like their lives depended on each other. Duff left one hand around her waist, then another around her back.

After only a few moments like that, he couldn't hold back anymore. He had no thoughts that distracted or stopped him. His body was automatic. His actions were subconscious. He held Abby's soft, baby-like face with both hands, and kissed her passionately.

He melted. He blended into her body. He felt her warm, sweet, soft lips against his and it was his first vision of ecstasy. Surprisingly, Abby kissed him back in the same manner. She was releasing all her passion and anger and sadness through her lips and body, right onto him. He continued to hold her face, spellbound by the warmth and softness of her face and lips. Her breath was exhaled onto him and it was like a whiff of honey. It made him feel hot. He kissed her several more times, passionately, and didn't want to stop. He felt himself push her against the wall. He needed her. He needed to come home to her.

They continued to kiss for another minute or so, but it felt like forever. Then, both of them heard a scream. It came from outside.

Duff released his lips from hers to breathe. He moaned. "Looks like Charlie introduced himself te Kim."

He looked back at Abby, and her eyes were sad. "Don't go, Duff." She whispered. He was still holding her tight against his body.

"Eh don' want te…" he whispered back. Mesmerized by her, he couldn't help but kiss her again, deeply. He planted soft kisses along her jaw. Abby held onto him tighter. "Eh don' want te leave…" Duff said again. He couldn't seem to peel himself away from her, now that he felt like he was living one of his dreams.

"Eh promise eh'll come home. Eh'll be thinkin' o' ye all day an' all night. Yer meh motivation…ehm gonna come home, because eh want te be able te kiss ye again," he kissed her lips. "…an' again." He kissed her once more. "fer te rest o' meh life."

Abby sighed. She placed her hand on his jaw, and felt his beard. She ran her fingertips along it, tracing the outline of the hair. It made Duff tingle. He _really _didn't want to leave.

The two of them heard a roar, then another scream. Duff sighed, and tightened his grip on Abby. "Eh better go now…" he slowly released his hold on her. "…or eh might never go." He smiled a little at that last part. He was only partly joking, though.

Abby let him go and didn't say anything. He slowly walked backward, gazing into her eyes, then finally turned his back and walked downstairs and out the front door. Abby sighed again once he was gone, and touched her lips. She couldn't believe what just happened, and tears began to fill her eyes. She went back into her room and closed the door behind her. She got in bed and tried not to imagine Duff and Kim riding off and disappearing beyond the horizon.

_Days later..._

Abigail paced her room. It's been days, no phone call, no e-mail, no contact from Duff. How long did it take to find a boy on a small island? What if they had been taken hostage? Each passing day, Bessie grew more and more hopeless. Her spirit had sunk thousands of feet below the ground, but she wouldn't say anything. The poor girl would lay in bed all day as if she was dying herself. Abby tried to accompany her as much as she good, but Bessie, though she didn't say it, didn't want to think about it. She didn't want to be conscious so thoughts of her father in danger or pain could worm its way in. She tried sleeping as much as she could.

Abby _knew _Duff was in trouble. Her intuition was screaming, giving her headaches. She had broke into Duff's lab by hacking Hondscioh, the home computer system. She searched for hours, any information she could find on these drones. She obsessed herself with coming up with a plan as quick as possible. She found a map, a book on the language, and lists of inventions that the drones have created and use to their advantage. Everything technical about the island, but nothing that could save Duff.

Abby went upstairs to search in Duff's room. She passed by the spot, right down the hall, where they kissed. She tried to shake the thought out of her head, but it haunted her the past few days. Why exactly did he kiss her? Did he have feelings for her, or was it because he was going to miss her? _'Well obviously you don't kiss someone like that just because you're going to miss them.' _She thought. Duff had been acting strange towards her the past few months. Was this what he didn't tell her? That he had feelings? Was he in love? _'No, he made it distinctly clear that it was impossible for him to love. I did tell him it was possible, but it just seems unlikely that I'm the one he just so happens to fall in love with.' _

No matter how hard she tried to argue with herself, it just seemed pretty clear of how Duff felt. His actions, after thinking about them, spoke for itself. What Duff didn't know, though, was Abby's past. She had a hard time being okay with his love for her. She cared about him, and up until now she didn't think of him romantically. But kissing him was magical, and wonderful. She enjoyed it, and it hurt her to admit that.

Abby continued to search Duff's room in hopes of not only finding something useful, but to distract her thoughts. Under his mattress she found a little black book. She opened it and was surprised to find that Duff had a diary. She sat down and began to read some recent entries.

"_I watched Abby cook today. She is so graceful and often reminds me of my mother and sister. I think that's why I am so drawn to her. She treats me the same way they did, and no woman had ever shown me that kind of resemblance. She cooked the same recipe my Ma used to make when I was a kid tonight. It used to be my favorite dish, and I missed it. I was never able to cook it the right way like her, but Abby was able to follow it perfectly. She brings back such fond memories. She puts life and spirit in everything she does. Not to mention she is beautiful, like an angel…"_

Abby froze. She skipped a few pages and found another entry.

"_I feel embarrassed to say I had another daydream again about her. I took a bath upstairs and imagined her in the tub with me. We were surrounded by bubbles, the water was hot, and I washed her naked body. We kissed and made love. These daydreams have become so infatuated in my mind, I feel like every thought that comes to mind has to do with Abby, and I feel humiliated around her because of it. I can't look at her without wanting to kiss her. Everything I see turns sexual through my eyes. Some mornings she will wear sweatpants and a tank top that hugs her curves, and there will be a little slit of skin in between the hem of her shirt and the top of her pants, and I want nothing more than to touch her there."_

"My goodness…" she flipped page after page, day after day, and all entries had to do with her. Weeks, even months past before she could find one where she wasn't the subject. Even then, she found nothing regarding the drones.

Abby put the diary back in its spot, and continued to search. Duff had a large bookshelf that covered the wall behind his bed, and she took out each one and flipped through. Eventually, after what felt like another hour, she discovered another set of small notebooks, dated years ago. Abby tried to think of when Duff created this project, and decided to start reading the journal entries around that time. She had to look through a few books to find the date she was looking for, but eventually she found it, and she was right on target. The diary was full of entries regarding the drones. A few of them stood out to her.

"_I plan to program the drones so they cannot feel like humans can. They have no nerves, but I don't want them to have feelings in the mind. Feelings can control humanity, and make one do stupid things because of love, or hate, or fear, etc. I mistakenly allowed Griffin to have feeling, but soon realized the error. It could be catastrophic to the race. Griffin learned of feelings, for I taught him early on, and frankly I'm afraid of taking them away, because he might feel anger and try to attack me or defend himself. Also, in a way, he acts more like a human because of it, and it's been nice to feel like I have a friend. So, mainly for my own personal feelings, I'll allow him to keep them. But future drones will not have that privilege. Clearly I make a decision solely based on feeling, proof that the growth of this new race, which I will control, cannot afford this human fault. I value Griffin as my fake human friend, but I know I'll have to watch over him, in case he becomes corrupted. I hope my feelings don't get me into trouble."_

Abby read another that stood out to her.

"_Paranologia is forming nicely. The drones are very strict and specific about the right humans populating their communities. The people they chose were perfect; I'd call them hippies based on how they based their society around spirituality and their own made-up religion. I've heard rumors that they believe I wasn't the creator, and that I'm a drone just like the rest of the Triad. They believe it was a female, and somehow I think they knew Carol took part in the island's metamorphosis, and that she is the female they picture. I caught a glimpse at a mosaic the inhabitants made, mounted on one of the shops. It was of a woman with blonde hair and blue eyes. Though it looked more like Number Four than anything, the mosaic woman's gaze reminded me of my late sister, and I think it was their portrayal of the true Creator. She was adorned in a shimmering purple dress, and a crown of emerald and amethyst. I felt bad for those who believed Carol was the true creator, because she wasn't. The people just choose not to worship me. Ace has corrupted my image…"_

It was strange to read about how Griffin had human feelings, and that there were people that lived on the island, and how they worshiped a female 'creator' like their God. She found more passages on how they thought she was still alive, just hiding somewhere and watching over the island. It gave Abby an idea. She would pose as this woman, and try to focus on Griffin. Hopefully she can seduce him somehow, and distract him enough to get to his 'off' switch. Then she can find Duff and reprogram him. The plan was worth a shot. She had to save Duff, she just knew he was in trouble. She felt it. And if Duff died, her mission would have failed.

There was a big secret Abby had kept from Duff and Bessie. There was a reason why she kept her life a mystery. She lived a life, but she lost it, and now she works for a special group. They told her they wanted her to take the job offer to be Bessie's nanny, but it wasn't because they wanted to keep an eye on Duff, because he was a bad man. It was nothing like that.

Abby knew he would find out her secret if she saved him. But there was no other option. She couldn't trust that he would come home without her help.

Later that night, she packed a small bag with all the old jewels she could find in Duff's family heirlooms. She found some nice pieces with emeralds and amethysts, like in the diary entry she read. She also found a purple dress along with the heirlooms, though it wasn't shiny, and quite old. It was elegant, however, and would fit nicely for the part of the 'Creator'. Besides the outfit, she took some maps and language books from Duff's lab, along with a device that would open a hole in the force field that surrounded the island. She would quickly fly over the dome, and then dive right in. Abby wasn't afraid of being detected.

It was a thunderous night. Rain poured down like daggers. She had told Bessie that she would be going to help Duff. Though the girl was scared, she understood. Bessie always knew there was something special about Abby, and she never knew what it was until that night.

Abby left the young girl in the safe room, and told her to stay there until she came back with Duff. The safe room was an unbreakable metal room, deep underground, with no access but those permitted, which was Duff, and now Abby. Duff put her into the computer system as one of the 'keys' to the room. Just by the press of a few buttons, Bessie had access to a bed, a small kitchen, a bathroom, and endless entertainment. It was one of Duff's best inventions.

Once Abby took her bag, she opened up her window. She felt the cold rain splash onto her as it came down, and the thunder rumbled in the background. Flashes of lightning lit up the black sky.

She got up on the ledge of the window and stood on it. She had to bend her knees and crouch down, and peeked her head out the window, and felt her hair and face get wet.

Abby then heard a scream. She turned her head and saw Bessie standing in her doorway. The girl ran over and tried to pull her back inside.

"He'll be back! If ye cannae save him, he said he'll take care o' himself an' he promised he'll be back! Ye 'ave te 'ave hope, Abby! Don't kill yerself, he'll be back, he'll be back! Don' leave meh without eh Ma an' eh Pa! Eh love ye Abby, don' die!"

"Oh, honey…" Abby got off the window ledge and stepped back inside. "No, no, you've got it all wrong." Bessie was crying, and she hugged her to calm her down. "I wasn't trying to commit suicide."

Bessie sniffed and looked up to her with teary eyes. "Then whut were ye doin' about te fall out te window?"

Abby sighed. She knelt down and made eye contact. "Bessie…" she whispered. "Can you keep a secret?" the thunder rumbled in echo to her voice. The girl looked at her and said nothing. Her eyes reflected fear and doubt. But Abby didn't need an answer from her. She trusted that girl with all her soul.


	21. Angel, part 4

**Angel, part 4 **

Duff and Kim walked on the beach of the island. Charlie had swum them up until the perimeter, and then they had to carefully swim through the ocean mines until they reached the dome. With Duff's device, they were able to break through and strip from their scuba gear. They dumped them through the hole before it closed up, and walked quickly, for the disturbance in the wall would attract unwanted attention. They needed to get to town quickly and find disguises. Until then, they had to keep a low profile. Once it was in sight, they took a shortcut through the dark forest. It would give them the coverage that they needed, but Duff warned Kim that it was called a dark forest for a reason.

"And what reason is that?" she asked.

"There is eh special drone tha' lives in tis forest. She 'as control over te plants, which aren't natural: tey are dosed with reactive chemicals so tey act like tey are alive, an' she's very deadly."

"Oh. So tell me again why we are in here?" Kim started to look around her frantically, and walked a little closer next to Duff.

"Because we're nae in te open, an' so it's harder fer us te beh spotted. Plus eh know eh shortcut inte town."

"Right. That's why."

"Believe meh lass, te witch is te least o' yer worries."

"Witch?"

"Aye, tha's whut she's called. Te witch o' te wood."

Kim didn't say anything, but she held Duff's arm as she walked. He gave her a look.

"Ye scared o' sometin? Eh thought ye could "do anythin'" an' weren't afraid o' nothin'."

"Oh I have fears…just not many obvious ones. But this island…these drone things you created…it is like the craziest mission I've ever been on. And also Ron's danger is at stake…that's new for me too."

"We'll find 'em. Eh know how te find ou' where he's bein' held, but eh 'ave eh feelin' where."

"Where? And why aren't we on our way there now?"

"Base. It's te island's 'capital' if ye want te call it tha'. It's eh city inside an entire buildin', tha' reaches as high as te tip o' te dome, an' stretches just as far below te Earth. Bu' it's dangerous te go ther naked…well, frankly, it's dangerous te go ther period. We don' wan' them te know who we are when we go in, or we'll be walkin' righ' inte our graves. Plus, if he's nae ther, then we've made eh _very _big mistake."

"But what would they want with him?" Duff sighed. Kim stopped and looked at him. "What?"

"It's eh complicated process. Te drones will make searches an' make extremely individualized decisions te choose someone random te 'invite' te the island, an' convince tem te be eh part o' ther community. Soon enough, eh'd think they'll try te take ye, too."

"It still doesn't answer my question. Why him?"

"Ehm sorry te say eh don' 'ave an answer."

Kim sighed. They started walking again. "Well…even if they did take me, I'd be happy as long as I was with Ron and he was okay."

"Believe meh lassie, ye don' wan' te live 'ere."

"For obvious reasons, yeah. But why not? You sound like that's coming from somewhere specific."

"It's jus' eh corrupted Utopia. Te lifestyle seems simple an' happy an' perfect, but in reality ye 'ave no freedom."

They continued to walk through the forest in silence. They seemed to walk for hours, even though it was not even half that long. Kim cleared her throat.

"Soo…did you say goodbye to your daughter and Abigail?"

Duff blushed. "Aye, eh did."

"How did it go?"

"Tey were…sad te see meh go."

Kim watched his expression. She smirked. "Something happen with Abigail?"

Duff blushed more. "Nae…nuthin'."

"Killigan, you are a terrible liar." She laughed.

"Oh, shut yer gob. It's naethin' ay yer concern."

"Why not? I just want to help."

"There's nuthin' te help."

"So then it's all worked out, then? Happily ever after?"

Duff didn't say anything. He didn't know where they were in relationship terms at this point. He thought she liked the kiss…but she also said she would be angry with him when he got back. Did she want to be more, or no? Did she love him too? The thoughts have been spinning around in his head, but he tried to push them back so it wouldn't distract him. Now Kim was resurfacing them.

"Soo, what did she say?"

"She didn' say anythin."

"So you kissed her, then?"

Duff growled. "Can ye min' ye ain business?"

"Ooh, so you _did_. She kiss you back?"

"Kim, eh hate te ruin yer wee game o' gossip, bu' ehm private wit meh affairs."

"Ugh, boring." She crossed her arms. "Just saying…if I knew what happened, and you told me your thoughts, I could give you some advice or something."

"An' how would eh lass half meh age know more abou' te datin' world than meh?"

Kim slanted her lips and crossed her arms again. "Well…it wouldn't hurt if I gave my input."

"Eh don' need it."

"Ouch…" Kim looked away. As she started to see Duff as a person, she started to realize that he could be _rude_.

After a few minutes of walking in awkward silence, Duff sighed. "Ahm sorry. Abby taught meh te open up te others an' stop hidin' behind eh brick wall. Aye, eh kissed her, an' it wus…"

"It was…what?"

It took Duff a minute to think of what to say. "…beyond words."

"Wow." Kim smiled. It was strangely satisfying to see him happy. "Did she like it too?"

"Ah think so."

"Then why do you look like it was the opposite?"

"Because she wus still mad eh wus leavin'. An' now eh don' know where we stand. Eh want te be wit her, but eh dunno if her feelings are as strong. Eh kiss doesn' tell meh anythin' about tha'."

"I'm sure everything will work out when you get back."

Duff sighed. He secretly thought, '_if I ever get back…_'. Though he promised Abby and Bessie and Kim that they would have a successful mission, he had his doubts. The island was dangerous, and last time, he almost got killed.

Almost as if Kim could read his mind, she asked, "So why again did you come here with Shego? You overheard that you were kidnapped?"

"Aye."

"And what, Shego rescued you?"

"Aye."

"Ew, you guys actually dated?"

"Aye."

"Why are you so robotic?"

Those words stung like snake venom. "Ehm nae bein'…robotic. Yer jus' askin simple yes er nae questions."

"So then tell me about how on Earth you and Shego, of all people, started dating?"

"Te be honest, eh don' really remember. We used te hate each other, then suddenly we started feelin' te opposite."

"Um…okay. How did that work out?"

"It wus goin' great, then suddenly, one day she jus' left."

"…oh. I'm sorry. It's weird hearing about this because of how I used to know all of you. To think of you and Shego to have a life outside of villainy, especially a romantic life, is hard to picture. Did she give you a reason why she left?"

"Nae. Eh guess she jus' got tired o' meh, but eh dunno." Duff found it out of place to open up to Kim like this, but he just had to let it out. "Bessie's mother did te same thing."

They walked in silence for a minute. Duff could feel the pain swarming back, and Kim could feel it too. It was like an invisible gust of wind that hit Duff, and she could feel the breezes that missed him. After a while Kim responded with a small but genuine "I'm sorry." She knew it wasn't her place to ask any more questions on that subject. She could read the memories on his face.

Suddenly a bush they pasted rustled. Kim gasped and grabbed Duff's arm. "Did you hear that? That bush moved!"

"Aye, and?"

"I wasn't anywhere near it! It moved by itself!"

"Tis jus' te wind, lassie." Duff grumbled. He didn't expect her to frighten easily like this. A lot has changed.

"There isn't any wind, not a tiny little breeze! It _moved _by _itself._"

"Ye sound like yer ol' daft sidekick."

"Well apparently unlike _you_, _I _don't want to get eaten by some witch!"

Duff stopped and looked at her. "She don' eat people…well…nae everyone."

Kim screamed. At first he thought it was in reaction to his comment, but it was too high pitched, and the expression on her face was too ghostly. He turned around, looked up, and was face-to-face with a skeletal-like figure, cloaked in thick green wool, and towered over them at about eight feet in height.

"Ilere…nice te see ye again, lass." Duff said. With this drone, he thought casual conversation would be beneficial. Any wrong move and they were done for.

"Killigan, is that you?" it said. "You have returned to us. Why?"

Kim's face was white, and she clung to Duff. He couldn't stop wondering why she was so frightened of this place. Her story didn't add up.

"We're lookin' fer someone. Eh young boy wus taken."

"Oh, he was chosen."

Kim peeked up at the creature. "You…know where he is?"

"I assume he is at Base, under the standard procedure."

Duff looked at her strangely. "Procedure?"

"The same thing they tried to do to you many years ago…except you escaped. Yes, I hear these things outside the walls of my perimeter." Ilere guarded the dark forest, lived in it, and never stepped foot on the outside.

Duff's eyes widened. "Wait…whut dye mean by 'standard' procedure?"

"The chosen ones are captured, transformed, and become a part of the community."

Kim looked at Duff. "Wait, what's going on? I'm lost. What did they 'try to do to you'?"

He ignored her, and continued to question Ilere. "So the citizens of Paranologia aren't human after all?"

"They are hybrids."

"What is a hybrid? What are you talking about?" Kim pressed.

The tall, demonic drone addressed the young woman. "There are drones that inhabit this island, like me, and there are hybrids. Drones will choose a select few to undergo a transformation that will allow their bodies to carry the same strong properties as a drone. The bones and secondary layer of skin are filled with the same alloy that each drone is constructed from."

"An' it's very, very painful." Duff groaned.

"So…that means…" Kim looked at Duff, scared again.

"It means ehm eh hybrid, an' Ron is about te become one too."

Kim gasped. Duff turned to Ilere. She spoke first.

"You pose no threat to me and my land. I will allow you to pass."

Duff and Kim thanked the kind drone, one of the few that remained loyal and respectful to their original creator, and passed on to town. Kim was uneasy. She wrapped the concept of a 'hybrid robot boyfriend' around her head, unwrapped it, wrapped it again too tight, and then just draped it all over her body.

"So you…what does it mean to…how did…?" Kim didn't know what to say. She could barely understand the drone's description of the 'transformation'.

Duff didn't respond. He didn't want to. But Kim kept mumbling questions that she couldn't quite finish, and he knew it was something he couldn't avoid.

"When te drones kidnapped meh, tey put meh under whut eh thought wus torture. Eh wus strapped te eh surgical table, an' tey ripped meh body open. Eh could feel tem skinnin' meh an' tamperin' wit meh bones. Eh wus delirious during te process, but eh could feel mehself harden an' stiffen. Eh felt mehself grow dense an' heavy. Eh couldn' tell ye exactly how te process is done, but from whut eh know, meh bones are made of metal, an' metal coats meh body, like eh second layer o' skin. Everythin' is made te work wit te natural process of meh body. Eh drone doesn't 'ave organs or life in tem."

"And they want to do this to Ron?"

"I'll get us te Base as soon as possible. But eh hate te say it, lassie…it's nae te worst thing in te world. Ehm almost as indestructible as eh drone. Tha's why when eh escaped, te drones found meh as their greatest threat. Tey cannae hurt meh as much as eh can hurt tem."

"So how does one 'hurt you' then?"

Duff looked at her. "By emotions."

The two entered town and immediately Duff searched for a clothing shop. He told Kim a list of items to buy. But she just stood there and didn't move.

"Whut are ye waitin' fer?" Duff asked.

"Uhh…hello? What am I going to buy all this stuff with? I don't have any money, and even if I did, I don't think they would take dollars."

"Ye don' need money. Tey trade 'ere. Ye write yer name an' drone code, an' eventually tey will come te ye an' ask fer eh favor. Most citizens 'ave eh profession like farmer or doctor or whutever. Services are traded fer items, as well as item fer item. Ye buy clothes, ye give tem food." Duff wrote out some information on a piece of paper and gave it to her. It had a name on it and some codes. "Hand tis to tem. It works as an IOU, basically."

"This is the weirdest place." She mumbled.

Kim walked into the store, and about fifteen minutes later she came out with a bag full of clothes.

"How did it go?" Duff asked.

"Fine. But why didn't the drones come up with a currency?"

"Humans pit a value tae everythin'. A sark is worth twintie dollars, an apple one dollar, it cetera. Drones hae nae use fur material items, but th' hybrids dae, coz they ur partially human an' still hae 'at instinctual yak fur whit is valuable. Th' drones don't loch 'at. They believe 'at tradin' brings peace, an' doesn't divide up social classes. In uir warld, a doctur, fur example, makes mair bunsens than a farmer. We value his medical service much higher than produce. Thes doesn't make sense tae th' drones. Scran is mair ay a necessity than medicine, coz humans eat every day, ur we die. Th' farmer works jist as stoaner, if nae mair, than th' doctur. Sae it makes much mair sense fur th' farmer tae gie awa' his produce equally tae a' fowk. He gi'es an equal distribution it sae nae a body is left starvin'. 'En if 'at farmer gits boak, he visits th' doctur an' is cared fur, fur free, coz he hud bin feedin' 'at doctur fur months. Kin?"

Kim snickered. "You talk really funny." Duff glared at her.

"Weel sorry fur slippin' intae mah ain natural speech!"

"But yeah, it makes sense. Strangely these drones have created quite the peaceful lifestyle."

"Yes but they hae certain rules an' laws 'at keep a' fowk restrained. Thaur aren't a lot, but they regard simple, everyday cases. Fur example, ye arenae allowed tae believe in a religion. Hybrids arenae allowed tae worship onie other figure than th' 'creator'. Granted, thaur is some confusion oan th' islain as tae fa th' true creatur is, but tae worship a god is punishable by death ur termination. An' nae tae worship th' creatur has th' sam sentence. However th' hybrids ur selected sae canny, an' th' threats ur sae vicioos, 'at laws pure aren't broken anyway."

"I find it so amazing that these robot creatures made such a complex society all on their own like this."

"Weel ye willnae be sae canty when they fin' us breakin' a body ay th' biggest laws...no toorists!"

The two went back into the forest to change into their disguises. Duff dressed in a large black hat, shades, and a leather coat. Kim dressed in a scarf, goggles, and a tight, banded outfit. She looked down at herself when she was finished.

"What am I supposed to be, exactly?"

Duff handed her a card. She looked at it. It had the same name as the one she gave the traders, along with other information.

"Yer eh drone tha' hails from te desert regions."

"Desert?"

"Aye, there's eh desert on te island, along wit eh mountain."

"Geez, this place has everything, doesn't it?"

Duff ignored the comment. "Drones fro' tha' region are quiet, serious, an' attack easily. Tey are swift an' acrobatic. Thought it would fit ye, plus tey wear special garments tha' cover enough of te body, so it'd be harder te guess who ye were."

"And who are you?"

"Ehm eh guard from Base. Eh work alongside Skinner an' Griffin, two members of Base security. If ye see eh drone dressed like meh with eh white face, tha's Skinner. Meh disguise could get us in Base, hopefully unnoticed. Eh'll beh holdin' ye captive an' bringin' ye te the holdin' cells. Hopefully Ron will be there, too."

"Question. Why are we disguised as drones, and not hybrids?"

"Because one, te drones know whut we look like, an' we need outfits te hide our features. Hybrids don' dress in wacky outfits. An' two, drones are more likely te trust another drone."

"Makes sense. Okay, so which direction is Base?"

"It's on te eastern side o' te island. It's eh far walk from 'ere, so eh suggest we get some rest an' head ther tomorrow."

"But what if…"

"Ron will be fine."

"But what if they're going to put him through that hybrid surgery before we get there?"

"Lass, if we leave now, by te time we get ther, ye'll be exhausted, an' we won' 'ave te energy te fight if we 'ave te. Nae te mention drones don' yawn, so if one pops out o' yer mouth, we're done fer. We need rest. Te both o' us. An' besides, if te drones wanted te make Ron eh hybrid, he'd be one already."

Kim sighed and tried to hold back tears. She couldn't bear the thought that her Ron was in any pain. "Fine. Where are we sleeping?"

"Come wit meh."

They walked for about twenty minutes before coming to a section of town that was dotted with little cottages. There were flags in front of some of the houses, others had no flags. Duff walked up to one of the houses with no flag. He opened the door, it wasn't locked, and stepped inside. He gestured Kim to follow. Inside the cabin, next to the door, a flag leaned against the wall. Duff took it, went back outside, and stuck it on the front lawn. He walked inside again, closed and locked the door.

"Houses are built an' left vacant. Flags on te lawn indicate residency. Eh house can be lived in temporarily, or permanently, without any charge fer rent or mortgage."

"If only our world was like this…it's hard enough paying rent for our apartment back home."

Duff sat down in a chair, once they were settled down. They didn't remove their disguises, just in case someone came into the house. But Duff assured that was extremely unlikely. There was always the chance of a drone spotting them through the window, too.

"So…whut 'ave ye an' Ron been doin' te past…well…well since eh saw ye two last? Still savin' te world?"

"Not really. After the invasion things settled down because Drakken and Shego weren't evil anymore. They were our top villains. Monkey Fist was stone, you…well, we didn't really hear from you, and everyone else kind of went their separate ways. Junior was dating my…er, high school classmate, and I heard not too long ago that Senior got sick. I think most of the other villains were so shocked from the invasion that they wanted to keep the peace."

"Eh'd agree wit tha'. Whut's te sense of tryin' te take o'er te world after bein' one o' te victims? We all got eh taste o' how sour tha' really wus, an' how peace an' freedom are all we really want. People turn evil because tey lack sometin in life, an' tey think destruction an' revenge will cure it."

"Have you kept in touch with any of the other villains?"

"Well…ye met Charlie."

Kim crossed her arms. "Yes, I did."

"Amy gave tha' te meh as eh birthday gift. She said he would be te perfect guardian te meh island. Eh think Amy wus lookin' fer love, she must 'ave been screwed in te head as eh wee lass te be obsessed wit all those cuddle buddy things."

"Did you date her too?"

"Ugh! Ye kiddin, lass? Not eh chance. Eh don' want te date no two year old. An' she soon found out eh wus too much of eh 'meanie' te be dealin' wit. But eh think she, along wit everyone else, found their peace somehow."

"So it was just Shego, then?"

"No…eh saw Camille fer eh while, too."

"What? Really?" Kim squirmed in her chair. She wanted all the details.

"Aw, come ehn! Enough abou' meh life. So ye an' Ron went te college. Whut fer?"

Kim crossed her arms again. She didn't want to talk about her life, she wanted to know more about Duff and his relationships with all the hot female villains. But she knew she had been pressing him for a while on personal matters, so now it was her turn.

"Ron went for business management. He wants to become the president of Bueno Nacho or Smarty Mart. I didn't know what to choose. I could be a rocket scientist like my dad, or a brain surgeon like my mom, but none of them were really me. I decided to go for fashion marketing, so I could work with the designers for Club Banana, but then around the same time Global Justice offered me a job as one of their directors. I was doing both for a while, but then the whole spy thing just got a bit old. G.J. had all these rules and special missions, and I was tired of it all. I stuck with college, even my friend Monique was in the same major as me. But nowadays I feel like fashion is Monique's thing, and not mine. Missions have always been my thing, but I want to do it my way, not follow the rules of G.J. Ron and I live in an apartment in Upperton, and…"

Duff paused, letting her find words. She ended up dropping her sentence. "An' whut?"

"I want to say we're more than boyfriend and girlfriend, but we're not."

"Ye want him te propose."

"Yeah."

"He's probably shy or scared. Te lad eh'll come around te it."

"How did you do it?"

Duff looked at her strangely. "How did eh do whut?"

"Propose to Bessie's mom?"

Duff paused again. It was his time to find words now. He just looked down and shook his head. "No…no it wusn't like tha'."

"Oh." Kim widened her eyes. What did she do? "I'm sorry, I just assumed…"

"It's alrigh'. Ehm goin' te head off te bed now. Have eh goodnight, eh'll wake ye up in te mornin'."

Kim mentally scolded herself for making such an assumption about Duff's relationship with his daughter's mother. She wished she could take it back as she watched him enter one of the bedrooms and shut the door.

Duff took off his hat, glasses and coat, and lay in bed thinking about Abby. He wished she was there with him, so he could hold her close. He wanted to kiss her lips again. He wanted to kiss her whole warm, soft body. He was lonely without her. Ever since he kissed her before he left, he felt empty inside unless he could feel her touch. Duff eventually fell asleep, imagining his arms wrapped around her waist, her body against his, and his nose buried in her hair.


	22. Angel, part 5

**Angel, part 5 **

Duff woke abruptly with sweat covering his body. He looked around him frantically and mumbled "Abby, Abby…"

He dreamt that the drones had taken Abby. They dragged her to the metal room filled with machines, knives and syringes. She screamed as they strapped her down. Duff could watch but he couldn't move. She screamed to him, asking him to save her, but he couldn't. The drones opened her up, ripped her soft skin; all Duff could see was blood.

Duff held his head, trying to contain the pain he was in. The dream messed with his mind and his emotions. It felt so real, and for a second, he truly thought Abby was dead.

Kim banged on his door. "Are you okay in there?!" she had woken up because she heard him shouting. Duff stumbled to the door as if he was drunk. When he opened the door, Kim looked up at him with wide eyes.

"What happened to _you_?"

"Bad dream. Ehm fine."

"You don't look fine."

"Eh said _ehm fine_." He growled. Kim instinctively took a step back. He was like a bear, just woken from hibernation.

Duff walked into the adjoining bathroom to wash his face. He splashed cold water on him but his thoughts still circled. Was Abby okay? Did the drones come to the castle and take her? Was Bessie safe? He wanted so bad to be able to call them, hear that they are fine and miss him.

But this wasn't some business trip. He wasn't just away and would come home in a few days. He could die, and Abby or Bessie could get attacked too. The unknown scrambled his insides.

The faster they could find Ron, the faster he could go home. Duff dressed in his disguise again, and met Kim out in the hall. She was sitting down, waiting for him. She still felt bad about what she said last night, and she wondered what his dream was about. Duff walked past her and opened the front door.

"Stay here. Ehm goin' out te the market te buy some food. Eh'll be back in an hour."

Kim didn't say anything as he left. She was a little afraid of being left alone. She knew nothing of these drones or this island. Duff knew his way around like he was one of them. Then Kim remembered that he was.

Duff walked to the market, thoughts still circling. He ignored them, though, and promised himself that Abby was okay, just how he promised Kim that Ron was okay. Thing is, however, Duff wasn't entirely sure that Ron really _was _okay. He just couldn't stand listening to Kim cry or moan.

When he reached the market, he picked out some fruits, vegetables, bread, cheese, and fish. He got enough for their breakfast, along with extra for their journey today. He also took some specialty foods invented by the hybrids on the island. Then he walked back to the cabin. No one disturbed him or asked questions. It was easy for him to pretend to be a drone.

On his way back, he imagined that he was bringing home dinner for Abigail and Bessie, who waited for him in their cozy little home. He pictured a simple life where he and Abby were married and happy. He would walk in, kiss her, then she would take the groceries and bring them to the kitchen to start dinner. He would kiss his daughter on the head and watch her play. Then he would check on his wife cooking, and hold her from behind as she stood stirring a pot on the stove. They would kiss, and laugh, and he would help her. They would talk about the day, the weather, anything. Duff's thoughts wandered as he daydreamed. He pictured Abigail pregnant, and they were happy to start a new family together.

Duff had to stop his daydream when he realized he was standing in front of the cabin. He walked in and Kim had left the chair she was sitting in when he left. Duff put down the food on the counter, and started to prepare a meal. About fifteen minutes later Kim walked in, dressed in her bandaged desert outfit. She left her scarf and goggles off, and her long red hair flowed down her back. She came up to Duff and smelled what he was cooking. She looked in one of the small pots.

"Ew, what is _that_?"

Duff knew she was referring to the bubbling purple liquid. "Tha's julco. Te island's national drink."

"What does it taste like? Is it grape flavored or something?"

Duff laughed a little. "No. Tastes nothin' like anythin' associated wit te color purple. Te compare wit our culture, it's like wine. It's considered eh very formal an' sophisticated thing te drink. Te color comes from te dye of eh special flower tha' grows 'ere. Try some."

Duff poured some julco from the pot and into a special glass. It was thick like a mug, but clear, and carefully designed. She took a sip and closed her eyes. She felt the warmth and the soothing powers flow through her body.

"That's…good." She mumbled. She took another large sip.

"Jus' be careful ye don' drink too much. Like eh said, it's like wine."

Duff served steamed fish and vegetables with warm baked bread. Kim was starving, and she dug into her meal. She thought Duff was a really good cook. She never expected him, or any of the other villains, to be good cooks, or to have any normal skills. She never looked at him as a person. She looked at him as a villain, like they were different somehow.

Once they finished eating, they packed the rest of the food, Kim put on her scarf and goggles, and Duff carried their bag. Before they left the cabin, Duff took out cuffs and a chain. Kim gave him a weird look.

"Uhh…what is that for?"

"Eh told ye. Yer goin' te be meh prisoner." He took the cuffs and locked them around Kim's wrists, then held onto the chain. "Eh drone passin by won't be suspicious when tey see eh Base guard casually walkin' wit eh member of te desert region."

Kim groaned. "A few years ago, this situation would have been the opposite."

"Oh, believe meh when eh say eh've been in enough chains in meh lifetime, thank ye."

They exited the cabin and started walking east, towards the cabin. After about forty five minutes, a path appeared at the edge of town. They got on it and headed towards Base.

"So how far away is Base?" Kim asked.

"Eh few hours walkin' distance."

"Whats a few?"

"Maybe three hours."

"Three? Isn't there some sort of transportation?"

"Waitin' fer te carriage might take longer than it would te get there. There's eh carriage tha' continuously circles te island. Ye can hop on fer eh ride or stop off wherever ye want. Eh select few drones 'ave eh flyin' device, but eh don' 'ave one o' those either. Sorry."

"Ugh."

For the next hour or so, the two walked in silence. There was nothing to say. Kim watched the trees pass by her, and her legs seemed to walk without her control. She wasn't telling them to move anymore, they just were. She felt tired, and remembered what Duff said about yawning. Because she was tied up, she asked Duff to give her an apple or something. Instead he gave her some kind of fruit she never saw before. It was round like an apple, but pink, and had a crunchy exterior and a soft mushy interior.

'_Great, another island specialty.' _She thought. Although, when she tried it, it was quite good.

Duff wasn't hungry. He kept thinking about the dream he had, and his future with Abby. '_Possible _future', he thought. Food was the last thing on his mind.

They continued to walk the whole way without saying anything to each other. They were both preoccupied with their own relationships.

'_Would Ron be okay? Would we get to him on time?' _Kim asked herself.

'_Will I make it home okay? Will Abby still be mad at me? And what of the kiss? Did she think of it as a mistake, or was she just upset that I was leaving? Or does she really love me?'_

Before they knew it, they were standing right in front of Base. They were so preoccupied with their thoughts, they lost track of time and the pain in their legs from walking.

"We're 'ere." Duff stated.

Essentially, Base was a skyscraper in the middle of nowhere. They looked up and saw the rectangular metal building block the sun from their view. It was past the midpoint in the sky, so it was sometime after noon, possibly three o'clock. There were no guards by the large metal doors.

"Are ye ready?" Duff asked. He looked down to Kim, and she nodded her head. "Remember, yer eh captured drone about te be imprisoned fer eh crime. Tey 'ave no emotions, but tey 'ave instincts. So eh hope yer eh good actress."

"I will not give up on my people. The regions of the desert will never be eliminated!" Kim said in a monotone voice. "How was that?" she looked up at Duff with a smile.

"Great, if te desert region wus havin' eh rebellion an' te rest o' te island wus tryin' te exterminate them. Let's just pretend ye violated section 23 of te code…ye stole extra food, an' ye 'ave te be reprogrammed an' checked fer human materialism."

"Whats the code?"

Duff sighed. "Like te rulebook. Ye break te code, yer in hot water. Now let's go."

They walked up to the metal doors, and they were opened by two guards on each end. A third guard stood in front of their way and asked for identification. Kim was frozen and didn't know what to do. Was the card Duff gave her considered 'identification'?

On instinct, Duff took out two strange looking passes. Kim glanced at them before he showed them to the guard, and they had their pictures and names, addresses and everything else like her driver's license and passport. The guard glanced at them, then at Duff and his 'captive', then nod his head. He stepped aside to let them pass.

Once they were inside, Kim released her breath. "How did you get those?" she whispered.

"Quiet! Do not speak." He said, in a perfect English accent.

Kim looked around. The main area was large, with lots of desks, computers and chairs, and drones to fill the stations.

"Do you know where you're going?" Kim whispered again.

"Yes! And what did I say about keeping quiet? You want to get us both killed?!"

After that, Kim didn't say another word.

Duff walked them to a corner of the main quarters. He approached another guard and addressed him:

"I have a prisoner here from the desert regions. I'd like to pass and take her to the holding chamber."

"With the new hybrids in transition? Why?" the drone questioned suspiciously. Kim froze again.

"She broke code twenty-three. She isn't due for reprogramming right away…I'd like to show this one here why, exactly, it's not ideal to be human, and rely on material goods. Duff showed no emotion, but his words alone proved deviant.

"Code twenty-three? That is crucial. I agree that a lesson will be beneficial in your case." The drone looked down at Kim. "Proceed."

They entered through, and Kim felt confident. Duff knew how to communicate with these drones easily. She had to keep reminding herself that he _was _like them.

They went down a few halls and took an elevator. It was glass, so she could see each floor as they passed it. They went down and down and down, and she saw rooms with computers, workers, rooms for security, rooms for experiments and inventions, and in one room they passed, she caught a glimpse of the biggest diamond she ever saw in her life. It was as big as an elephant, and drones were chipping and mining at it.

"Whoa! How…"

Before Kim could react, Duff covered her mouth and muffled her. He was firm on his grip. "When I say don't say anything…" he whispered. "I mean don't say anything. There are cameras and microphones everywhere. Even in the elevator." He looked at her. "You are in Base now. You have no freedom, no right to talk." Kim thought he was sounding a little scary.

Kim's ears were fighting the pressure as they went further and further below ground. Base was like a tree, and they were traveling down its roots.

Finally, they came to the very lowest level. It was saved as a type of prison and holding cell for corrupted drones or misbehaved hybrids. The floor above was where they performed the surgeries.

Duff led Kim out of the elevator, still in handcuffs, and guided her through the cells. They went down rows and rows until Duff came to a halt, and another guard opened the cell with a special device. It scanned the metal lock, and miraculously the lock reacted to the scan by unlocking itself. Duff pushed Kim inside, and they locked the door again.

"Um…" Kim was confused and enraged. She didn't think Duff would _actually _make her a prisoner. But before she could release or show her emotions, Duff cut her off. He spoke to the drone guard.

"I'll be back for her. Just hold her here temporarily. I'm going to see what schedule they have for the transition rooms. Will you give us a moment?"

"Of course." The drone walked in the opposite direction and Duff turned to Kim with the most grave and serious expression.

"Do not speak. Do not cross your arms, slouch, yawn, pout, or whatever else. You are robotic. Do you understand? I'm going to check around to see if I can find Ron. If he's upstairs I'll take you there."

"Yes." Kim said. She tried to be as expressionless and robotic as possible.

"Good. Stay here, don't move. Don't talk to anyone."

And with that, Duff left.

It was about an hour later when Duff returned. Kim was glad to see his leather coat and black hat. She had been standing like a popsicle without moving or speaking for the past hour, and her body was exhausted. Nobody spoke to her or asked her questions. She was left alone, and in that time of standing straight and tall, she realized how bad her posture really was.

Duff was grave when he approached Kim's cell. He asked the guard to unlock her, and he came over and did so without any questions, which Kim found strange.

"I'll take you to see why you should thank your Creator for making you a drone, and not some dependant, weak little human. Come."

He led Kim back to the elevator, and he didn't say a word to her as they went up one floor. Kim watched his expression carefully. She could tell he was hoping she wouldn't say another word. She realized she was jeopardizing their disguises by asking questions or just talking in general. If drones were listening, they could easily spot their ruse.

Kim continued to watch his expression. There was a layer of sadness, or pity plastered to his face. She wanted to know if he had found Ron, but then she imagined what he would say, based upon that expression he wore so glumly. Something was terribly wrong.

The elevator dinged and the doors opened. Kim saw an endless amount of chrome. Duff walked her through the halls. It all looked like a mental hospital. She could hear screaming, shouting and crying. The screeches were so loud and she could hear the pain through each voice. It was torture. She walked closer to Duff. She wanted to see where Ron was. She couldn't wait anymore.

Duff stopped and opened one of the doors. Kim peeked inside. It looked like an emergency room. There were several empty beds, and then at the very end, a sheet covered her view of one of the cots. She looked at Duff. He nodded for her to go inside, slowly. He shut the door and looked at her in the eye, before she took another step.

"We were too late te stop te surgery. He's eh hybrid nae."

Kim's eyes welled up. Her face became red and hot. She couldn't think, she tried to move, she needed to see him for herself.

"He needs te heal, lassie. He's nae goin' te look…normal." He tried to stop her before she looked, but she ran too fast for him. She pulled away the curtain and cried out. She turned her head and couldn't bear another glance. He entire body was covered in blood. He looked like the living dead. He looked like Frankenstein. It looked unnatural to see his stomach moving up and down.

"Listen…" Duff knelt down to her. She tried not to look at him, but he held her so she couldn't move away. "Remember tha' this happened tem eh, too, eh few years ego. It's nae goin' te kill him. It's nae goin' te ruin yer life together. We can still get 'em outteh 'ere an' ye can still marry him. It's jus' his bones an' skin are harder, stronger. Eh know how te care fer 'em in tis condition. Let's take 'em an' leave…"

"No!" Kim cried and shook her head. "No…"

"If ye want te leave, we 'ave te leave now!"

"No…"

Duff didn't hesitate. He knew she had to grieve, but this wasn't the right time to do it. He started to unhook Ron's body from a bunch of the machines.

"No! No, no, no, no, no!" Kim shoved him away. He looked at her, flabbergasted.

"Whut are ye doin'?"

"He's gone! Ron is gone! I know him. This surgery will change him. He is one of your drones now. You can't reverse something like this. All I wanted was a simple life. I wanted to stop crime fighting and be at peace. I want happiness with Ron, he's been my best friend for life, I love him, and I can't just bring him home and tell him to forget all of this! I wanted love, and this is what I get! I can't seem to lose the crime. It always finds me somehow. I can't live on anymore if I don't have Ron by my side, and I know now he's gone. This has hurt him, this has killed him, barely! This has changed him. So, this has changed the both of us. I feel death, right now. They have taken something from him that they cannot replace with their indestructible alloys. You know what that is, Duff? That's life. They took life out of him."

"But there's still hope. Whut are ye sayin', ye wannae stay 'ere? Yer quittin'?"

"I've given up on trying to live our lives in the real world. Everyone knows us as crime fighters…they can't leave us alone! Whether it's a cat stuck in a tree, or a fire, or babysitting, I'm always called. And it's not like I can say no! I wanted us to be left alone for once. And we're struggling to pay for college and pay our rent and our taxes, our insurance and our gas and food…sure, our parents help out a little bit, but we're trying to be dependant and it just isn't working. I've never charged for my service to people…and I can't start now. What would people think? I wouldn't get as many calls, yes, but then what sort of reputation would I have? And this life here seems so simple…trade services for goods, goods for goods, services for services…free housing, tasty and exotic food…frankly, it's a land I wouldn't mind living."

"_Whut? _Are ye insane?" Duff couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"I've lost myself over the years. I don't know why. Life has just spiraled downward since graduation and the invasion. I don't know which is the cause. Everything ended. The villains, the unrest, the drama. Things are calm, I want to be calm, but I can't. I want to be with Ron, and that's all that matters."

"So whut, yer goin' te stay 'ere, live in tis corrupted little Utopia te be wit him? Ye two can _leave_."

"Yes, but how long until they track us down again? How long until Ron gets sick and its related to his new…_body_, and we need a special kind of treatment or medicine that we can't find in a _human _pharmacy?"

"Ye got meh! Eh 'ave everythin ye'll need!"

"But they took him for a reason, Killigan! And we don't know what that reason is! If we are successful in escaping, how long until they try to take him back?"

Duff sighed. She had a point, they wouldn't let them go.

"If ye want te be 'ere, wit him, ye'll need te go through tha' same surgery! Follow their special rules! Ye know how many there are te memorize? Hundreds!"

"So be it."

"Ye cannae imagine te pain…"

"So _be _it!"

"Whutever happened te "Eh can do anythin'?" Why cannae ye leave? Eh don' understand."

Kim looked down. "Like I said, after graduation, everything ended."

Duff was confused. He couldn't take it anymore. He knew Kim was grieving, and she wasn't being herself. Duff noticed some tall boxes, like coffins, in the corner of the room. He had an idea. Duff took a stunner from a nearby shelf in the room. It was a weapon meant to temporarily knock out a hybrid _or _a full human. Without letting her speak another word of rebellion, Duff took the gun and shot it at her. She was jolted with a special ray, and her whole body collapsed as if she instantaneously fell into a deep sleep. He grabbed her, put her on one of the beds, and changed his disguise once again.

In his new disguise, Duff put Kim and Ron in a tall wooden box. Sometimes, but rarely, a surgery will not go as planned. The human's body will reject the formula, and unfortunately die. Duff would pretend he was transporting a lost human to the waste incinerator. It would be strange to have two bodies, because failure was so rare. There were also no cemeteries on the island. There was, however, a place to worship and praise fallen drones, but there was not a place for fallen or passed humans. There was only incineration.

Duff had to fit them into the coffin together. They fit fine, since they were both skinny. He bolted the box and pocketed the hammer so he could release them later. He had to label the box with the name of the deceased and have another form of identification. Duff was nervous. This was a risky thing to pull, and if he was caught, he would be terminated. He knew a lot of drones would question the death and every detail of information, but he wouldn't have all the answers.

Suddenly, the door began to open to the medical room. They must have heard their conversation; they must have been spying on them. He was as good as dead! Duff gasped, and the only thing he could think of was '_Abby, forgive me.'_

The drone that walked into the room was the one drone on the entire island that Duff least expected to see. It was Griffin, the first drone he ever made.

He looked just the same, but cleaner. His bandages were pure white, his goggles shined, and his clothes were formal. Duff looked down. He tried to hide his face and pretend he was getting ready to transport the 'deceased'.

"Hello, old friend." Griffin spoke. His voice was deep and gruff. Duff knew he had been discovered, but he still tried to pretend that he wasn't being addressed. Maybe there was still hope.

Griffin seemed to have read his mind. "I am speaking to you, Duff." He said.

Duff held his breath. He didn't lift his head. Griffin approached him, slowly, and stopped until he was only inches away. Griffin was the smartest drone. His mind was as closest to a human. He could tell that Duff was afraid. He sensed this man has changed.

"I have seen the Creator."

Duff looked up this time. He usually did not hear that word. He was not spoken to like this, especially from Griffin. What did he mean by 'I have seen the Creator'?

"The townspeople of Paranologia have held the same belief for years, that you were not our original Creator. I was there, though. I opened my eyes and I saw you. I have always believed in you. But this other figure, I have seen their murals of her, their paintings, and she came to me. I have seen her with my own eyes, but I don't know what to believe."

"Eh made ye, Griffin. Meh sister used te beh alive when ye were made, an' she helped meh wit meh projects from time te time. Fer some inexplicable reason, eh think te hybrids knew abou' her an' decided to worship her. But she's dead, an' ther confused. Someone started tis, someone must 'ave lied te start eh rebellion. Wus it Ace?" Duff didn't feel scared anymore. If Griffin wanted him dead, he would be already. Something was different. The game had changed.

"I know you made me. I remember Carol, and this woman is not her."

"Then it's eh ruse someone's tryin' te pull."

"You see I want to believe that. But the people have worshiped this female idle for so long, and she has come out of nowhere, so graceful and beautiful. I think, if I may, that my heart has become enchanted with something strange. She had spoken to me so greatly, like I was the God she should bow to. She told me you were on this island, and she requested I found you and bring you to her."

"Whut?" Duff knew, now, that there was more going on here than he thought. Someone was behind some sort of plot. Was it Ace? Was it Four? Was this new drone created and programmed to overthrow the town and rule the hybrids, and start a rebellion? It didn't make sense. "It cannae be te 'real Creator'. Eh told ye, Griffin, an' eh wouldn't lie. Eh made ye. There is no other _Creator _but meh. An' tis drone came from nowhere? Don' ye find tha' suspicious?"

"The townspeople claim she had been hiding for so long but watching over us all."

"But ye don' think tha' someone behind tis made tis drone an' programmed it te…"

"The woman is not a drone."

"…whut?" Duff blinked. Was he hearing this correctly? "Nae eh drone? Then she's eh hybrid? Oi…eh hybrid. Ther goin' te start eh revolution, ehm tellin' ye…"

"No, she is no hybrid. She has no trace of our alloy in her human body. She is a pure one."


	23. Angel, part 6

**Angel, part 6**

It took Duff a minute to process this. After a long time, all he could make out was, "Huh?"

Griffin didn't respond. He waited. His job was to take Duff to this other 'Creator'.

"So lemme get tis straight. Some imposter is claimin tha' she created te drone race, nae meh, an' she knew eh wus 'ere, an' she sent ye te bring meh te her. An' she's eh human."

"That is correct."

"Who te Hell is tis woman?" Duff was enraged, now. Even though he wanted nothing to do with the drones, how _dare _someone try to claim his work and take over the land that he started? Duff would let Griffin take him to her, and he would give her a piece of his mind.

"Let's go, then. I'd like te meet tis huir!"

"And what of your friends?" Griffin pointed his chin to the half-bolted coffin.

"…oh. Ye mind if eh borrow one o' yer new hybrids? Ye see te lad's girlfriend came tem eh an' said ye kidnapped 'em, an' eh said eh would…"

"Yes, we will take them both. The Creator…well, yes, the female Creator as she claims to be, said she expected not just you but your two young friends as well."

"Whut?!"

"And isn't that position entirely uncomfortable?" Griffin added. He motioned to the way Duff tried to stuff two bodies in one coffin.

"Err…" Duff chuckled nervously. "Eh ran outteh options."

"I will transport them." Griffin said. "If you will come with me." The drone went over to the coffin and ripped the top right off with his bare hands. The nails popped out and scattered on the floor. He lifted Kim and hoisted her on one shoulder, and then did the same with Ron on his other shoulder. "We can station the boy in Paranologia, and I can heal him in one of the cabins there."

"Why did ye choose him, Griffin?" Duff asked. His face showed sadness. Kim had asked so many times, and he was also curious. Why him?

"It was not I who chose him."

"Then who?"

"I have heard rumors it was…this new Creator. That she is the one who chooses all our hybrids, but I have nothing to confirm that. I do not deal with hybrids."

"So ye don' believe in tis method of torturing innocent human beins and turnin' them inte metal-skins?" Duff had anger in his voice. Griffin sensed his disgust on the method. He was also still in mental pain from his own experience.

"I am one of the originals…"

"You _are _te original, Griffin."

"…yes. I have always believed in your ways, as my Creator. Your plans for us as a great new race. Your plans for our friendship…our life."

Duff was silent. In a way this conversation was…heartwarming.

"I do not believe in torture. I have never been involved in these surgeries. They begun with an idea stemmed from Ace's corrupted chip. Four has never been involved with them either. She doesn't like to admit, but she also still believes in your words. We are all still waiting for you to come home and build our dream again."

Duff couldn't believe what he was hearing. All this time he thought Griffin and Four and all the other drones hated him and wanted him dead. He thought they had been corrupted, and were ruthless monsters. He had judged them all, his own creations, and he felt guilty. His heart warmed at Griffin's words, and remembered how he greeted him as an 'old friend'. That's exactly what Griffin was to him.

"I think te first thing we need te do is find tis imposter. Once eh figure out who tis is and whut's going on, we can settle things. Eh cannae stand te sit back an' watch whoever's responsible take innocent people an' put tem through such pain. Tis 'as te end. Eh 'ave always meant fer te drones te be peaceful. Eh never wanted te create such ruthless creatures. Eh never wanted te create an army. Eh wanted friends, an' eh wanted eh place where eh could go an' feel safe."

"We need your leadership again. We don't want you to give up on us. If Ace is responsible…if whoever must be taken out, so be it. It will protect the peace of our people."

"An' whut of te hybrids? Tey are people. Tey 'ave thoughts an' beliefs, tey worship tis imposter. How do we change their mind?"

"We will find a way. We will have our justice."

"Eh've missed yer accompaniment, Griffin."

"As I have, yours."

Duff looked at Kim. She stirred on the drone's shoulder. "Ye can get us outteh 'ere wit tem without resistance?"

"I am one of the Triad."

"Power is nice, am eh right?" Duff smirked.

Griffin mumbled. "Mm…it can assist in…such situations…"

"Ah, just admit ye love it." He pat Griffin on the back and they walked out of the medical center, and made their way towards the elevator.

With Griffin's high status in the island's government, they were easily able to walk out of Base with Kim and Ron, still unconscious_. If it wasn't for Griffin_, Duff thought, _I would have never made it out of Base alive, and neither would have Kim._

Duff was tired and dreaded having to walk all the way back to Paranologia. Griffin was aware that Duff's body had muscles that ached him when used too frequently. The carriage was waiting for them outside of Base.

Duff cried of happiness. He clapped his hands and laughed. "Eh love it. Can ye admit it now tha' power is good?" Griffin had the authority to stop the continuous path of the carriage and take control over its course.

"I have no mind walking. It is for your human sake that I…"

"Aye, aye, eh know ehm old." Duff joked. They got in the carriage, and it took off for Paranologia.

The ride was three times shorter than the amount of time Duff and Kim spent walking. During the ride Griffin was silent, but Duff was mad with questions. Who was this woman? And more importantly, how did she know he was on the island? And for how long? Why did she request his presence?

"Whut does tis woman look like, Griffin?" Duff asked.

"I did not see her face. It was covered by a veil. She wore the finest purple dress, and was covered with amethysts and emeralds, our national gemstones. But she had the finest grace imaginable."

"Then how come ye know she's human?"

"My sensors detected no alloy."

"Righ'…well, Griffin," Duff chuckled. "…sounds like yer in love."

Griffin stared ahead and didn't say a word. He was confused. He nearly had the ability to love like a human mind could. Duff wasn't too sure himself if Griffin was capable of that kind of thing. It was surely possible. Griffin was trying to identify his thoughts. He suffered a war between human thinking and robotic assessment. Duff almost felt sorry that he made Griffin go through this. But, in a way he know it gave Griffin an advantage over the other drones, and he was grateful.

"T'ere's still one ting eh don' understand."

"And what is that?" Griffin looked up at him.

"If te people o' Paranologia think tha' tis woman created te drones, then who do tey think _eh_ am?"

"They know you as the first hybrid…and that _she _chose _you_."

"But tey don' hear abou' meh? Tey never heard any drone call meh te Creator?"

"I suppose they believe we are mistaken." Griffin turned grave and had a tone in his voice that was unmistakably full of antipathy. "According to them, we are easily fooled. We cannot think like a human can. We cannot figure out that we are being deceived, and ruled, like a human can discover. We are stupid machines. Your kind…mankind…believes that they are the most superior race."

"Believe meh, eh've figured tha' ou' eh long time ago."

When the carriage pulled up to town, there was a big commotion going on. Crowds of drones and hybrids formed a semi-circle. Duff could see a figure in purple at the end of the crowd. The drones asked a countless number of questions, like paparazzi and reporters fighting to get information from a celebrity.

They passed the crowd but Duff couldn't take his eyes off the woman until she was out of sight. A veil still covered her face. Duff told Griffin which cabin he and Kim were in earlier, and they rode east into town to the housing district. They stopped at the small cabin with the flag still waving in the front. Griffin got out, holding Kim and Ron on his shoulders. He and Duff entered the cabin and helped lay the two down on beds.

"Wait here." Griffin said. "I will go back with the carriage and tell the…woman…that you are ready to see her. I'll bring her back here along with medical supplies for the young hybrid."

It was weird to hear of Ron Stoppable, Duff's old enemy, a hybrid. "Fine. Eh'll watch o'er 'em."

Griffin was gone for only a short while. Duff had watched Kim and Ron sleep in the meantime. Kim was peaceful, like she was taking a normal nap and having good dreams. Ron's breathing was a bit harsher. His body fighting hard to keep away infections.

When the door opened, Griffin entered first. His frame was so large he nearly fit through the door. In comparison, the woman in purple looked so delicate, Griffin could have easily snapped her like a pencil.

He shut the door and the three of them stood in the room together. Duff eyed the woman's body. She had a nice shape, and her dress looked vaguely familiar. When Duff looked at the detail, he thought it might have been a Scottish design.

The woman motioned to Griffin and he came closer. She whispered in his ear and he nod his head obediently.

"She wishes to speak to you alone." Griffin announced to Duff. "I will leave you two to talk and watch over the hybrid in recovery."

As soon as the drone left the room, Duff released his anger.

"Who te fuck dye think ye are?" he approached her without fear. He didn't care who this person was, or what she was. "Ye 'ave no right te say ye created tis island! Ehm te one tha' started te drone race! Eh built te very first drones wit meh own two hands! Eh helped form tis island! An' who are ye te drop in an' claim tha' ye were te mastermind behind it all! Who are ye workin fer? Ace? Four? Eh know tis is te start o' some sort o' rebellion. Who's in charge o' it? Eh know yer jus' eh puppet—"

"Duff."

He paused. That voice…

The woman carefully lifted her veil, and Duff looked into the same lovely eyes he dreamed of every day and night.

"ABBY?!"

"Shh, lower your voice!"

"WHUT TE _FUCK _ARE YE DOIN' 'ERE?Eh specifically told ye te stay home! Whut fuckin' right dye 'ave comin' disobeyin' meh when eh ask ye te do somethin' as important as stayin' ah te castle an' takin' care of…oh _fuck_, Bessie! Ye left her fuckin' alone in te castle?!"

"_No!_ No…she's in the safe room. I also asked some friends to watch over her…"

"Friends?! _Whut _friends, cuz eh've never met any of em!"

"Would you _calm_ down?!" Abby was frustrated with him, but at the same time she was upset that he was yelling and cursing at her. It brought tears to her eyes.

"No, whut _friends _of yers? Eh don't know yer friends an' eh don' trust no strangers te take care o' meh daughter! Yer goin' te tell meh exactly whut _friends _o' yers ye left Bess alone wit! How dye know they weren't drones? Ach, fuck, how do eh know _yer _nae eh drone?"

"Because I'm not!"

"Because te Abby eh know wouldn't leave home after eh told her te stay, an' leave meh daughter wit people eh've never even fucking _met_! Who are tey?!"

"People who I've known a lot longer than I've known _you_! I've only known you less than a year! You don't know anything about me _or_ my past life, and the people who were in it! You trust me when you know nothing about me! So what gives _you _the right to accuse _me _of putting her with people you can't trust? _She _is in a depression, because she thinks every day that you're not coming home or that you're dead! How _dare_ you abandon her like that! You trusted her with me, and yet you wouldn't allow me to go with you because I know you think I wouldn't be able to fight or defend myself. If that's so, how could I defend your daughter? I came here to save _your_ ass!"

Duff was a little taken aback. He struggled to say anything in return, because he kind of knew in the back of his head that she was right.

"Please, tell me, what would have been your plan if Griffin hadn't come in and helped you escape Base with two bodies? Tell me what you would have done!"

"Eh…well…eh had eh plan…"

"And what was that? Play grave keeper? Griffin told me about the _coffin_! Are you an idiot? Base doesn't run those kinds of operations! If something went wrong with Ron's transition, they wouldn't just toss him like a broken toy. The drones would have caught you, and you would have been dead!"

"How dye know whut operations Base runs?"

"Because I read all your journals!"

Duff paused. She read _all _of them?

"Ugh, _God, _you're such a fucking bastard sometimes, you know that?" she ranted. Duff looked down. He felt bullied. He felt like he was a little kid again and his schoolmates were throwing rocks at him. It hurt him so much only because it came from _her. _But he was confused, and suspicious of Abby. He didn't fully believe it was the real Abby, but she certainly argued the same. Some things didn't add up.

"Well why te fuck did ye come 'ere? _When _did ye get 'ere? _How_? An' why are ye dressed as tis other creator lass?"

"I read about the story in your journals, how the people in town believed in a creator besides you. I also read about Griffin and when you first made him. I knew you were in trouble. I could feel it. So I came here a couple days ago…I got through the shield with your ray gun…thing. I found Griffin and I…well…I've tried to convince him that I'm this other creator…and I've tried to…seduce him, sort of."

"Ye…whut?" Duff felt hot and uneasy.

"You mentioned he could experience feeling. Well I thought if I could make him like me or at least trust me, I could get close enough to him to find his off switch, and you could reprogram him to do whatever you need him to do. You said…"

"Aye, eh know whut eh said. But te plan 'as changed. Ye…cannae always expect eh mission te work out exactly as how ye planned. We found te boy, but he already had te surgery. We were too late. An' instead of escapin', Kim wants te stay 'ere wit him an' become eh drone herself so tey can live 'happily ever after' 'ere…"

"So why not let them?"

"Because she's delusional. It's nae whut she really wants. Tis island has caused nuthin' but trouble from te start. Eh want te shut it down, but eh dunno how."

"It's too dangerous to go against this entire island of drones."

"Eh 'ave te try. Tese drones are meh responsibility."

"So what, you were going to do all this _after_ you told Bess and me that you were just going to try and find some kid? You didn't mention anything about shutting down an entire army of drones. Did you actually expect to accomplish all that and come home in one piece with us welcoming you back with open arms?" 

Duff didn't say anything. His plan was a bit last minute, and yes, he knew she only expected him to find Ron and come home. If he survived and came back, it would have been long enough for them to think he was dead, and Abby would have been furious with him.

Duff was silent. She was right, and they both knew it. His guilt lay in the still air for them to drink in and absorb.

"Does Griffin actually tink yer…"

"Yes! At least I think so! So keep up with the act, it might come in handy later. I mean, after you yelled at me so loudly, I'm sure he heard you enough and figured out it's all a lie."

"Ehm sorry eh yelled ah ye."

"No you're not."

"Whut dye mean ehm nae sorry? Ye wer right abou' mos' things an' eh feel bad."

"What do you mean 'most things'?"

"Well…eh still dunno tese people ye left Bess wit."

"Duff, do you trust me?"

He paused. Was this a trick question? "Of course eh do."

"Then why don't you trust me to put Bessie in the right hands?"

"Because she's meh daughter, an' eh don' leave her wit strangers eh dunno."

"Well these strangers are more than capable of keeping her safe from any drones that might come to the castle for her."

Duff sighed. "It jus' makes me…uneasy."

"You know nothing about my life, Duff, or the people who are in it…or at least used to be."

"Why don' ye? Tell meh abou' it, Abby. Yer right, ye know everythin' abou' meh but eh know nuthin' abou' ye." He put his hand to her cheek. She moved his hand away. Duff felt insecure and embarrassed. He thought about their kiss. He thought she didn't want him after all.

Abby didn't want to look at him. She hurt to think of her past. It hurt her to think of it and then think of _Duff. _

"Just…trust me that Bessie is safe."

"Okay, eh trust ye." Duff said. It was hard to say it with meaning, but she was right. If he trusted her, then he should trust that she placed his daughter in good hands. But she was still very secretive about things, and it made him still suspicious. In the back of his mind, Duff knew there was something Abby wasn't telling him.

Abby told Griffin to continue taking care of Ron and Kim, and wait for them to wake up. It was late, so Duff decided it was best for them to retire for the night. He told Abby she could get ready for bed while he assisted Griffin for a while. The drone would be too occupied for the night to walk in on her.

About fifteen minutes after Abby was out of the shower, Duff knocked on the door and walked in. To his surprise, she was still undressed. She was only wearing her towel and it reminded him of when they bumped into each other.

He was about to look away and apologize when Abby loosened her towel, not realizing he was in the room. The towel lowered enough for him to notice two giant angel wings tattooed on her entire backside. It was extremely realistic.

"When did ye get tha'?" he spit out. He realized he should have announced his presence first, because Abby immediately froze and tightly wrapped the towel around her again. She pretended like it was no big deal and casually looked through her bag for a change of clothes to sleep in.

Duff walked into the room and gently closed the door behind him. He walked up behind her and put his hand on her shoulder. Her skin was cold.

"It's beautiful. Lemme see it." Duff gently pulled on the towel. Abby was still as stiff as cardboard, but she let him look at it. He tugged until he was able to lower the towel and expose her entire back. Duff slowly ran his finger down the base of her spine, then slowly back up again. She was skinny enough where he could feel the spaces in between her vertebrae. He placed both of his hands on her back and felt her smooth skin. He gently massaged her shoulders a little bit. He wanted her to relax and guiltily, he wanted her to drop her towel. He ruined his chance of that view when he asked about her tattoo. Duff planted gentle kisses along the top of her shoulder and back. Abby stiffened. He wanted to embrace her body, but the more he touched her, she just pulled away and looked at him with tears in her eyes. She tightened the grip of the towel over her chest, and the back just scarcely covered her butt.

"Stop…" the look in her eyes scared him. Duff's worst nightmare had come to life. He could tell Abby didn't love him the way he loved her. She didn't want him.

"Whuts wrong?" he knew there was much more he needed to say, but he didn't know where to start.

Abby didn't say anything. She just turned from him and continued looking through her bag. She took out a thin grey cami, a cardigan, and light sweatpants. She wrapped the towel tight around her body, covering her back again. Duff watched her and he could tell she didn't want him in the room. Suddenly, it seemed right to finally ask her what had been haunting him the past few days.

"Why did ye kiss me?"

She kept her back to him. "I didn't kiss you, you kissed me."

"But ye kissed meh back. Why?"

"…because I wanted to." she stopped fidgeting with her stuff, but still didn't look at him.

"Tha' doesn't answer meh question."

Abby faced him now. She looked grave, like the conversation they were having brought her pain and bad memories. "Things are complicated for me."

"How? _How _are tey complicated? How are we ever goin' te 'ave eh good relationship if ye don' talk te meh? Eh've done meh half. Eh've told ye meh life story. Now its yer turn te tell me whuts goin' ehn wit ye. Please…ehm beggin ye." He walked closer to her and touched her shoulders again. His hands glided down her small arms and he took her hands. "Eh want te understand. Ehm 'ere fer ye, no matter whut."

"I want to move on. I don't want to talk about it."

"It's healthy te talk abou' it. _Ye _taught meh tha'."

"This is…different."

"How is it different? Its yer life, an' its important te who ye are. Ye 'ave te embrace yer experiences…te good an' te bad. Abby, ehm jus' repeatin' everythin' ye've ever told meh. Eh know its hard, but ehm _tellin _ye tha' ehm 'ere fer ye jus' as ye were there fer meh. Every night we'd talk on te couch by te fireplace an' eh'd tell ye stories of meh life. We'd drink tea, because ye wouldn't let meh drink coffee ah night…well, ye never really wanted meh te drink coffee. Said it wusn' good fer meh." Duff chuckled. He lifted her chin so he could look her in the eye.

"Eh love ye." It brought him pain to say that. "An' even if ye don' feel te same way, eh always will love ye. Eh'd do anythin' fer ye."

His words brought tears to Abby's eyes. She looked down. She couldn't look at him.

"Please…_stop_. I'm in pain right now."

Duff sighed. When was he ever going to learn about her life? "Alrigh'. Eh'll let ye get dressed. Ehm goin' te check on Griffin an' eh'll be back in five minutes te say goodnight."

Duff left the room and closed the door behind him. He didn't understand what the problem was. He loved her, and he wanted her to love him back. He needed to know what was holding her back but he didn't want to push her. When he checked on Griffin, the drone was tending to Ron's body, wiping away blood and bandaging areas and applying topical medicine. He left Kim to sleep, and only checked on her once and a while to make sure she was okay.

Duff waited outside Abby's door until he felt like it was enough time for her to get dressed and compose herself. When he eventually walked in, she was sitting down on the bed, most likely thinking, or maybe, trying not to think. She looked up when Duff came in.

"Hi." She mumbled.

"Hey." He paused for a moment. He felt like if he spoke to abruptly, he would make her even more upset. He wanted to be gentle. "Ehm sorry eh brought ye pain."

"No, it's not your fault. I'm sorry you feel like it is…and sorry I called you a bastard earlier."

"Neh, eh deserve it. Plus ehm used te bein' called names."

"Never by me, though. I completely take back what I said. I don't want you to associate me with the kids that bullied you growing up, or your brother."

"Abby, its okay. Believe meh, eh deserved all tha' ye said. Eh don' consider ye eh bully. Eh think of ye as…well, ye know whut eh think of ye as."

"Duff…"

"Nae, tis okay. We'll talk abou' it when we're nae on eh dangerous island. When we get home, aigh'? Have eh good night. Eh'll talk te ye in te mornin'."

Abby sighed. "Alright. And make sure Griffin doesn't see me like this. He'd probably think I'm not the creator because I'm not dressed in some fancy silky nightdress."

Duff smirked. "He knows yer human. Eh don' think whut ye dress will alter whut he believes. But eh wouldn't mind seein' ye in some fancy silky nightdress."

Abby gave him a 'look'. "You make me feel very uncomfortable nowadays, you know that? Especially after reading your diary entries about me and you in the bath tub…"

Duff's eyes almost popped out of their sockets. "Ye _read tha'?!_"

Abby smirked back at him. "Not _just _that."

Duff's face turned beet red. "Well…ehm goin' te go…someplace else."

He turned to leave the room and Abby giggled. He loved the sound of her laugh. He hadn't heard it in a long time. Before he left, she asked him a question.

"What…um…what room are you sleeping in tonight?"

Duff stopped and turned around. "Why?"

"Just in case I wake up and…or…_well_…well frankly I didn't notice any other bedrooms in the cabin except this one and the one Griffin is in with those kids."

"Eh…wus gonna stay up an'…guard te place, eh guess. It's possible someone has spotted us an' reported it te Ace or whoever else."

"What? No no _no_…of all the times not to sleep, this isn't one of them. You need your rest to fight these drones."

"An' where ehm eh goin' te sleep? Yer right…tere are only two single cots an'…yer bed."

"Just because I'm sitting on it doesn't make it my bed. It's a double…"

"Eh didn' want te suggest anythin'…after…ye know. Eh didn't think ye'd consider it."

"No, I'm not considering it. I'm insisting it. You need to sleep."

Abby got up and pulled away the covers from the bed. "Come here."

Duff hesitated. "Abby…eh don'…"

"You don't want? You love me but you're afraid of sharing a bed?"

Hearing her say the 'L' word stunned him. "N-nae…but if ye don' have te same feelin's fer meh then eh don' think it's eh good idea te get in bed wit meh."

Abby raised an eyebrow. Duff realized how wrong he just sounded.

"Nae, nae…tha's naw whut eh mean. Eh won' do nuthin' if ye don' want meh to. Eh won' even touch ye…"

"Duff, I'm tired. Just shut up and get in bed." She continued to stand there.

Duff sighed. He waited a minute. Abby didn't move. She wasn't going to bed until he got in. She could be very motherly, but Duff didn't mind, because he knew it meant she cared.

He knew she was tired, and he wanted her to get her sleep as well. So he caved in. Duff walked up to the bed and crawled in on one side. Abby turned out the light and got in on the other side. Moonlight from the window lit up the room with a nice glow. Duff would have to try hard to sleep tonight, because he wanted to watch her sleep all night, and gaze at her smooth skin and plump limps. He liked to see her at peace.

They kept some distance between them. Abby turned her back to Duff, which saddened him. He at least wanted to see the tattoo again. It really was beautiful.

It felt awkward for Duff to fall asleep. He couldn't seem to get comfortable enough. The bed had enough covers, plus he was in bed with Abby, so he felt very warm. After about fifteen minutes of shifting, Abby turned to him.

"Are you okay?"

Duff hoisted his torso out of bed and panted. He was a little sweaty. He was about to take his shirt off when he thought it might offend Abby.

"Dye mind…?" he asked.

She looked at him. He could feel her discomfort. "No, go ahead."

Duff took his shirt off and threw it so it landed on a chair. He lay back down in bed and Abby turned from him again.

A few hours passed and Duff was still awake. He had shut his eyes and relaxed, but he just couldn't fall asleep. He was too uncomfortable, but he didn't know what the problem was. The temperature was fine, he didn't have to use the restroom, and he wasn't having bad dreams or thoughts. He was just restless.

He turned to look at Abby's long hair. It shined in the moonlight and looked like spun gold. He wished he could see her face.

"Are ye up?" Duff whispered. He thought he would take the chance, but she looked fast asleep.

After about a minute, she whispered back. "Yeah."

It surprised him that she couldn't sleep either. He wanted to ask why, but he thought that was a conversation she didn't want to have. Instead, Duff put a hand around her hip, found her hand, and held it. She didn't take her hand away or push him off.

They lay like that, awake, for a while. Duff enjoyed being able to hold her just a little bit. It calmed him. He thought that's what he needed to fall asleep.

"I was married." Abby mumbled.

Duff paused and had to absorb that. He didn't know what to think. This was the first bit of information she was giving him about her life. He didn't know how to respond. He wanted to ask so many questions. Who was this guy? Did she still love him?

"…oh." It took a long time for Duff to come up with the right things to say. "Fer how long?"

"A long time. It felt like infinity." She whispered.

Instead of taking his hand away, Duff held onto hers tightly. He inched a little closer to her and stroked her hair with his other hand.

"I loved him so much…I thought of him as my soul mate."

That hurt Duff a little. He didn't want to shy away out of jealousy, though. He told her he was there for her and he was. Abby needed him right now. He could hear her crying through her words.

"He died,"

"Oh…Abby ehm sorry. Eh didn' know."

He knew better than to ask her how her _husband _died. He simply held her and let her talk. His body touched hers, now. He wrapped his arms around her and she leaned on his chest. Her eyes were wet with tears, and a drop ran down her cheek and onto Duff's chest. He imagined she healed his scars as she wet them with her magical tears. He thought she was still beautiful even when she cried, but it was a different kind of beauty. She shone a rare light that allowed him to see inside her soul a little.

She cried harder the more she talked. "I liked kissing you, I wanted to kiss you, but I haven't really moved on yet. It's been a while since he left but I never accepted it, and you're so much more than a friend to me but I just think that he's still here or he's watching over me and I feel like I'm being disloyal to him and we're still married and I just feel so guilty…"

She stopped talking to sob a little. Duff put a hand to the back of her head and continued to stroke her hair. She felt embarrassed to cry in front of him. He never saw this side of her, but she needed to cry, and she was grateful that he was there for her, even if she was crying over another man.

"Shh…some time ego ye told meh tha' once eh can accept te death of meh mother an' meh sister, eh can love ehgain. Ye said te grief wus holdin' meh back. Well eh cannae tell ye how long it'll be, but one day eh promise ye'll nae feel te pain anymore, an' if ye still want meh, ehm always goin' te be 'ere."

Abby continued to cry on his chest. Duff was sad, because she was sad, and she wasn't ready to love him. But he was still happy to be there with her, and to hear about her life, and soak up some of her ache.

Out of nowhere, Abby lifted up her head and kissed him. It was completely unexpected, and Duff melted again. He kissed her back with deep passion. He sent all of his love for her through his lips and onto hers. She tried to kiss him back in the same manner, and she did for a few seconds. Duff felt fireworks go off inside his entire body. He was surely dreaming. He could feel the passion she was giving him, and he wanted to embrace her and kiss her forever. But she stopped abruptly and looked away.

"I'm sorry…I'm trying but I can't help but feel guilty. I know it sounds silly…he's dead and I'm no longer married to him…but I feel like my soul is still tied to him…I want to move on but a part of me…"

"Shh." Duff silenced her and kissed her forehead. "Ehm nae goin' te let ye do anythin' if yer uncomfortable an' confused. Kissin' me…or whutever else…will jus' confuse ye more an' bring ye more pain. Until ye've things out, let's keep things…simple. Aye?"

Abby just looked at him. She was covered in tears. She gazed deep into his coal-black eyes and seemed to try and look into his soul.

"I have so many questions…its possible…" she was whispering to herself. Duff tried to listen, but he didn't ask her to repeat what she was saying. He knew she wasn't speaking to him. "Everything happens for a reason…." She said.

"Go te bed." Duff whispered. She stared blankly at him, and he knew she was mentally somewhere else. He continued to look into her eyes to try and find out where that was.

After some time, Abby closed her eyes and sighed. She turned from Duff and faced the opposite way in bed again. Duff closed his eyes and tried to drown his sadness with sleep. His dreams were becoming nightmares. Abby felt like she was bound to another man's _soul_. How could he compete with that? But Duff had hope. Abby was right…'everything happens for a reason'. Abby came into his life for a reason, and he wasn't going to let that reason be 'helping him become a better man', or 'becoming Bessie's mother-figure', or anything else she has done.

He was going to make sure that reason was to become the love of his life.


	24. Angel, part 7

**Angel, part 7**

_A/N: Warning, a little rated R in the beginning! _

When Duff closed his eyes last night, he imagined when Abby kissed him, and she didn't stop to feel guilty or think about her soul. He imagined that they kissed passionately, embraced each other, and of course, to the same place they always go when Duff's mind wanders. That was the last thing he remembered before he fell asleep.

Duff opened his eyes to find his nose in a cloud of soft, silky smooth golden hair. He breathed in the scent of fresh air and cleanliness. A little dazed from his long sleep, he lifted his head slightly and attempted to find all of his body. His chest was against Abby's back, and his arms circled around her waist. Their legs intertwined.

Duff grumbled. He didn't like getting up in the morning. It was more likely the afternoon, but it was all the same to him. He knew he had to get up. They had a long day ahead of them, planning their ruse to end the drones. But he didn't want to move. It felt amazing and relaxing to spoon Abigail. He was at peace. He wanted to wake up every morning like this.

Then he remembered last night, and everything Abby said. There was this dead man he had to worry about, now. He promised to give her time to figure things out before he let her go further with their relationship. He didn't want her to get hurt any more. It hurt _him _to say that, because he wanted nothing more than to love her openly.

He felt Abby stir. She was finally waking. He felt her body move until she discovered she was trapped by his grasp. Duff gave her the time to realize where she was, and eventually she turned her head to look at him.

"Goo' mornin', lassie." He smirked. He grinned like a spider after it's caught something in its web. Still hazy from his dreams, Duff momentarily forgot about Abby's uncertain feelings. He leaned in and kissed her. His lips were happy, and peaceful, but at the same time sly and hungry. Suddenly, he remembered the things she said last night again. Also, he suddenly became very self-conscious if he had bad morning breath.

He pulled away. "sorry…eh know eh said…"

"It's okay." Abby whispered. She _certainly _didn't have morning breath. She still smelt sweet and minty, even from last night. Was there anything _not _perfect about this woman?

Duff cuddled to her a little. He nuzzled his nose in her hair. He wanted to enjoy this moment before Abby started to feel uncomfortable.

"How did ye sleep?" Duff mumbled.

"Alright. And you?" she muttered as well. She, too, was tired, and didn't want to get out of bed. Despite the kiss and feeling Duff against her, Abby was quite content.

"Mmm…very good. Eh had eh nice dream…" he tried to restrain himself, but he couldn't help but pull back her hair and little and kiss her ear.

"I know, I can feel it."

It took Duff a good minute to process what she said. He didn't get it at first, but then it dawned on him how close his body really was to hers, and just _why _he felt so good this morning. He looked down past his hips and saw what she was talking about.

"_Fuck!_" Immediately he backed away and turned from her. His face was the color of a tomato. He felt utterly embarrassed. He knew he was known to move or speak in his sleep. Had he done anything in the middle of the night? On her? To her?

"Och, Abby ehm so sorry…eh didn't realize…did eh do anythin' in te night? Did eh…?" he covered himself with blankets and tried to calm down, but he couldn't.

"You…may have muttered a syllable or two." Duff was surprised that she was so casual about this.

"Ohh…._fuck_. Whut did eh say?"

Abby turned to face his back, now. She smirked and giggled a little bit. "Just moaned a lot and said my name…and other…body parts."

"Abby eh haven't been more embarrassed in meh life…an' after ye trusted meh, an' ye said all those things las' nigh', of all the things fer meh te do!" he mumbled to himself and slammed his palm into his face. "Duff, ye really screwed up tis time…"

Abby said nothing but snickered a little.

"Oh, yer so amused are ye?" he turned to face her now, but still paid attention to cover his lower half, and keep his distance.

"A little. You move in your sleep, too, you know."

Duff could feel his skin turn red again. He felt like a talking beet. He didn't even know what to say to that. Part of him didn't want to know what he did, but he could imagine. He didn't need to ask.

"Abby…"

"I know it's not your fault." She mumbled. The emotions were flying back to her again. "I know how you feel about me and how much you…want me…in different ways." She looked down, too embarrassed to look in his eyes.

"Eh do." Duff lifted her chin a little so he could catch her gaze. "Bu' tha' doesn' make up fer te fact tha' eh disrespected ye an' violated ye."

"Violated me? Duff, I know you. I know what you do subconsciously in your sleep. I know how you feel. And I kept that in mind when I told you to get in bed last night. You didn't rape me or anything. And you know I…want you too. I just have a lot of feelings to sort through first."

Duff paused. Did she just say what he thought she said? She wanted him too? _Like that_? Is that even what she meant? It had to be…obviously she didn't mean kissing.

"…oh." Duff felt daft for having such a bland response to something like that. He was just so stunned that she admitted to that. He didn't actually expect Abby to feel that way. He always thought he would only ever be with her…_like that_…in his dreams. He thought the most she would ever feel for him is love, or at least close to it. He always doubted that she could ever feel lust for him, too. Abby had always kept this innocent, peaceful image, and it was often hard to picture her wanting to have sex. Even now, as she lay her head on the pillow and looked at him, she could have easily been a little girl. Her eyes sparkled in the sunlight that came through the window. Her lips were soft, and they smirked curiously.

"…Whut?" Duff said, after he noticed she was staring at him.

Abby giggled a little. "…nothing."

Duff raised an eyebrow and propped his torso up a little. He leaned on his elbow and rested his chin in his palm. "Nae, yer laughin' at meh. As if ehm nae embarrassed enough!"

Abby giggled again. "No, I'm not laughing at you."

"Then why are ye laughin?" he gazed at her body. He watched her curvy outline like they were hills he wanted to run over.

"What, I can't laugh after my…_experience _last night? I found it amusing." Duff loved to see her smile. He loved to see her teeth show through her lips. They were white and perfect. Duff shook off his dirty thought of wanting to run his tongue over them. Why couldn't he calm down this morning?

"Well, eh found it embarrassin'."

"Why? You should be confident about that, I would think."

Duff crinkled his brow. "Whut are ye talkin' abou'? Eh should be confident tha' eh…did…whut eh did last nigh'?"

Abby raised her eyebrow this time. She gave a sly smile. "Not at what you did, but obviously you were showing off a bit."

Duff took a minute to think about that. Why was she teasing him so much this morning? He didn't understand. "An' whut exactly wus eh showin' off?" Did she mean his protection of her? He held her against him because 'subconsciously', he wanted her all to himself. He wanted to own her, and call her his woman.

Abby rolled her eyes. "I'm talking about your _size_…"

Duff's eyebrows shot right off his face and left burn marks behind. He became a beet again. Duff's mouth was agape. He couldn't speak. He couldn't think. His mind just kept repeating '_what?!' _over and over.

For about five long minutes Duff just looked at her with that blank expression, and Abby smirked and snickered. She was having fun teasing him like this.

"Eh cannae believe ye jus' said tha'." He muttered.

"You know I've always been one to speak my mind."

"So…ye…um." Duff gulped. "Whut? Ye think…felt…_och, fuck." _Duff rubbed his head.

"Cat got your tongue?" she grinned again. She was having _way _too much fun taking advantage of his awkwardness.

"If yer eh cat, then aye, ye sure as fuck got it."

"Yeah?" Abby leaned over him and put her lips to his. She reached her tongue into his mouth and lured his tongue out just enough to lightly bite onto it.

Duff grabbed her body and slammed it against his. He wasn't going to play around anymore. If she still had feelings for this other guy, she wouldn't be fooling around like she was. He could feel Abby reach her hand down and stroke him, feel him. He immediately felt like he had a fever. His breathing was heavy. His tongue explored in her mouth as his hands explored her body. He grabbed every inch of curve he could find. He thrust his hips forward, and she tugged at him, then she was gentle, and only ran the tip of her finger up and down.

"Oh…_Abby_…"

She responded with body language. She kissed him harder. Duff couldn't believe she was being so naughty. It wasn't like her. She made him moan and tingle and relax like he's never done before.

"OH, fuck…eh haven't had sex in so long…eh waited fer ye…yer te only woman eh wanted…"

"Duff!"

He felt a sting on his body. Where was it? What was it? Was it on his cheek or his shoulder or arm? Did she bite him? That was hot.

"_Duff_!"

He felt the sting again...actually, several stings. It made him feel even hotter that she was calling out his name. He moaned and wanted to call her name out too, but somehow he couldn't.

"DUFF HONDSCIOH KILLIGAN!"

He was amazed at how perfectly she pronounced his middle name. He felt strange, however. Like he was falling asleep, or fainting. He tried to look at Abby's face but it was a blur to him. What was going on? He started to panic. He felt like poison was running through him. He felt like he was dying, and being lifted to heaven. How could this happen when he felt so good just a moment ago? Abby's face was clear again. She was crying out…not in pleasure, but in pain. He didn't notice it at first, but now it was clear that his hands were covered in blood. He saw her pale skin and little white things under his fingernails. The red liquid ran down her back and her sides.

_Water. _

Duff gasped and opened his eyes. His torso shot up out of bed and he wiped his face, shook himself off, and looked around the room in panic. He was drenched in ice cold water and he shivered. Abby was standing next to the bed, with her arms crossed. A bucket stood next to her on the floor.

"Will you _get up_?! I'mlate for some important appearance in town. Griffin's been waiting in the carriage for fifteen minutes now. Gee…I never thought you'd wake. I would've thought you were dead if it wasn't for all the mumbling in your sleep."

Abby was dressed in a purple and emerald gown and jewels. She looked like a queen.

Duff got up and dried himself off with the bedsheets. He was disappointed but also relieved to find out everything was just a dream.

"Mumblin'? Whut did eh say?" he asked. Duff prayed she didn't hear her name…or body parts.

"I don't know. I couldn't make it out. After I woke up I left the room, and by the time I got back I thought you'd be awake but you weren't. I tried waking you up and calling your name but you slept like a cat."

"An' ye threw water o'er meh?"

"Well what else was I going to do? Get dressed…quickly. Like I said I have to make an appearance in that town and announce some stuff or something. Griffin planned it. He has some ideas he wants to share with you later."

"Ideas?"

"Yeah, for the termination plan."

Duff quickly got dressed. There was no need to shower at that point. He put on a clean shirt and fumbled with his shoes.

"Whut are Griffin's ideas?" he asked.

"He said he would explain it when we rode into town together. He didn't tell me much."

"Did he tell ye why yer makin' tis speech or whutever it is in Paranologia?"

"He said it was just to make a distraction and keep up with appearances. Apparently I've been big news all over the island these past few days, even those other important drones in Base want to meet me and question me."

"Tha's because tey know ehm te real Creator. Tey want te know who ye are."

"Right, I guess. Well he wants me to be a distraction in Base and keep up with this whole story of me being the true Creator so when we try out his plan not many drones will be paying attention to what we're doing, whatever that may be…"

"Eh'm interested in seein' whut his plan is…"

"Whut's yer speech goin' te be on?" they started to walk out of the room and to the front door.

"Nothing, really. I'm just going to make up something to say. Griffin asked me to mention some things."

Duff walked past the door that Kim and Ron were in last night. He remembered them and stopped.

"Wait, whut happened te…?"

"Griffin said he sent them to his quarters in Base, and that they would be safe there….I thought you guys just _escaped _from Base."

"Well…technically _eh _escaped, wit his help. Griffin is one o' te triad, so no one has access te his quarters, nae even Ace. She's considered te highest o' te three, but in terms of ranking, she's equal te him. An' if she cannae get in, no one can."

Duff and Abby walked out of the cabin, and like Abby said, the carriage was waiting in the front and Griffin was already inside. Abby got in and sat next to Griffin, which Duff didn't like. He had to sit opposite them. Almost immediately the drone-driver snapped his whip, the horses took off and they were on their way to Paranologia.

"So Abby told meh ye came up wit eh plan?" Duff asked. He leaned in to Griffin, like he was afraid of anyone outside the cabin hearing them. They got right to business.

"Yes. Drones are nearly invincible, am I correct?" Griffin began.

"Aye…?"

"So the way to shut down the drones is not physical. But if the chip is destroyed, we can no longer function."

"Question…what's a chip?" Abby asked.

Griffin turned to her and pointed to his head. "I do not have a brain like a human does, like you or Killigan. A drone has a microchip that works as the brain." He turned to Duff again. "When you built us, you guarded this chip in a cube of diamond. Do you remember why?"

"It's te hardest natural material known on Earth, so it will protect te chip from being destroyed, but eh used te send out messages wit eh transmitter, an' te waves could conduct through te diamond an' reach te chip, which also had eh small antennae. It wus like eh phone or eh radio built inte te brain."

"Exactly. When we began to mass produce drones, we built on the same exact frame. Every drone has this antennae built in. My idea is that we can send out a signal through Base that would be able to pass through the diamond and reach the chip and be received by every single drone on the island. But the signal would be a sonic disturbance at ultra high frequency."

"It would fry all te microchips…whut about te hybrids?"

"I figure there is no need to harm them, we have done that enough already. They are only physically transformed to be stronger. They have no corruption in the brain, none that is intentionally downloaded from our race."

"Whut about ye?"

"Do you wish to spare me?"

Duff paused. "Of course, Griffin. Ye were meh first drone…ye've always been smart, loyal, an' ye've never brought harm upon meh. Ace an' Four are te ones who stared tis corruption. Eh dunno whut eh did wrong when eh made tem, but eh sure did sometin right when eh made ye. Ye've been eh good friend an' eh wouldn't want ye te be…terminated. Eh can always try te remove yer antennae surgically, but it might be dangerous. Or eh could try makin' ye some sort o' helmet tha' would block te disturbance."

Griffin said nothing. He nodded his head. At that point, they reached town. Griffin escorted Abby out of the carriage, while Duff cloaked himself to hide his appearance, and slowly walked behind them.

There was a crowd of drones and hybrids waiting for her arrival. They were about to surround her, but when they saw Griffin they simply bowed down.

"All these people think I'm the one who created the drones?" Abby whispered to Griffin.

"Yes."

"But why? You know Duff made you. What makes them think it wasn't him?"

"Duff created me, Ace, and Number Four. He taught us everything we needed to know and together we began to multiply our kind with special machinery. Ace has led them to believe that Duff was not to be trusted, he was a traitor, and he wanted to destroy us all. I suppose somewhere along the line, someone heard of Duff's late sister Carol, who originally helped him when he created us, before her death. Everyone simply formed these random beliefs from rumors and misinformation, and then chose to worship their new figure."

"Why didn't they just worship you, and Ace and Four?"

"The hybrids are half human; your people feel as if they have to worship someone who cannot be seen or heard. They want to believe in hope that there is someone greater for them out there. Humans want what they do not have. Once they created your story, some of the drones who did not believe in Duff began to follow as well, like sheep."

"I see."

Abby stepped onto a small stage, and Griffin stepped up with her. Duff watched from afar, behind the crowd. Griffin lifted up his arms and with his hands made a symbol that must have meant 'quiet', because all the drones and hybrids silenced. Abby began to speak.

"I have come down upon you to send a message. For some time now I have been watching over this race and I sat back and allowed your civilizations to form, and I gave you your freedom to rule as you pleased. Some of you may still believe Duff Killigan was your true creator. I chose him to lead you and oversee this race so that he may teach you the ways of the human, and you may learn to disguise yourselves. But you may ask yourselves…if you are not human, then why should you follow a human? Because you were created to be a synthetic human. Your anatomy is different, your anatomy is mechanical and human-made. You are a species created by a species. You must learn from your parent species, and evolve independently. The humans rule this world, and by disguising as them, we will be able to blend in and overthrow their power from inside their trust. But Duff Killigan has given up on this race. He did not like the way you all were so brilliantly growing. I am human, but I am no longer from this Earth. I died and was reborn with the divine power and vision to create the greatest species of the universe…"

Duff was impressed with Abby's speech. He could tell she didn't rehearse this, and was making it up as she went. She was a good actress. She knew that the drones were filled with pride and loved to hear that they were superior, but she also gave them discipline and showed them whose boss. He saw Griffin step down from the stage and let Abby continue. He walked through the crowd and walked towards Duff. The drone stood by his side and together they listened to her finish.

"My message to you is this: you have been led by the wrong minds, and you have been strayed from your purpose. You have been corrupted by a leader you have chosen, but who was sick. You have been corrupted by another leader who experiences the terrors of human emotion. They are called Ace and Four, two members of your Triad leadership."

"She's tryin' te blame Ace an' Four?" Duff exclaimed. This surprised him. "They are goin' te hear abou' tis an' go after 'er. She should 'ave never came here pretendin' te be tis person. It's too dangerous fer her te be makin' t'ese comments."

"Precisely. They will be paying much attention to her now that she has challenged their authority on this island."

"But they'll kill her! Griffin so help meh, if ye put Abby in danger eh'll…"

"She will not be put into any situation she cannot handle."

"Cannae handle? _Eh _wouldn't even do tis!"

"I sense much strength in her. There is nothing to worry over. I promise to protect her from any harm."

Duff raised an eyebrow. What did he mean by 'much strength'? Sure, Abby was a strong person _mentally _but she had a small build and Duff figured she was not an expert in wrestling or martial arts. But the way Griffin said the word 'strength' had human emotion in it. And when Griffin tapped into his emotions, which were locked away in a deep part of his mechanical mind, Duff knew it was something to pay attention to.

"She really is quite beautiful." Griffin added.

Duff had the urge to punch him when he said that, but he knew he would just end up hurting his hand, even if he practically had built-in brass knuckles.

"…and I know you love this woman."

Duff looked up and stared at him. "Ye can sense tha'?"

"I can sense many human emotions, thanks to you. You gave me that ability to identify and understand the ways of the heart."

Duff took a minute to realize how wonderful Griffin's gift was. The possibility dawned on him.

"Can ye sense if Abby…?"

"Feels the same?"

Duff stared blankly. He became afraid. Did he want to know? Before he could say yes, Griffin told him what he thought.

"I can sense many emotions from her. There is love, but it is mixed with pain and confusion. There is also power, and fear."

"Power an' fear? From whut?"

"That I do not know. I believe she has a secret that she wishes to keep from you."

"Eh secret?"

Duff never thought that Abby would keep anything from him. Nothing _important _at least. He knew her past was one big secret to him, except for her marriage. What was the power? Who was she before she came to him? What was the fear? Was she afraid of letting him know about her past, or was it something else? Duff started to realize the reality of how much he didn't know. Abby could be anyone. He knew absolutely nothing, except for the fact that he loved her.

Abby gradually finished her made-up speech. Did she plan with Griffin on challenging the Triad or did she plan it herself? It was a good idea, Duff admitted, but very dangerous. It was like wearing raw meat and swimming through shark-infested waters. She was officially drone bait.

Duff waited as Griffin approached the stage again and escorted Abby through the crowd and inside the coach. Together they headed towards Base to start designing the wave that would destroy all the drones, and to commence their plan.

No one said anything during the short ride. Duff watched Abby's every move. He was enchanted by her. She looked as if she should be lounging on velvet while he fanned and fed grapes to her. The sparkle in the emeralds and amethysts she wore matched the sparkle in her eyes. The shine on her dress couldn't compete with the shine in her hair. Duff wanted nothing more than to become her servant. He wanted to repay her for all the service that she has given him.

Abby glanced at him and caught his gaze. Duff was embarrassed she caught him staring at her, but he didn't look away. They looked into each other's eyes. It was only for a moment before the coach stopped, but during that moment Duff could tell she was thinking of last night.

The coach stopped about a mile from Base. Griffin instructed Duff and Abby to change clothes. Abby couldn't enter dressed as the 'Creator' or she would be attacked. Word had most likely already gotten to Base about her speech. Duff also had to disguise himself for obvious reasons.

Griffin already had outfits for them to change into. He gave each of them different uniforms and they would pretend to be prisoners that Griffin would bring into Base for questioning. Abby asked Griffin to unzip the back of her dress as she removed the veil on her gemstone headdress. Duff was a little angry that she didn't ask _him _to do it, but Griffin was right next to her. Duff didn't think Abby would really change in front of them, and he wanted to look away, but he didn't. As Duff slowly took his boots, pants, and shirt off, he watched as Abby took her arms out of the front part of her gown, stood up, and shimmied out of it. Her glowing body was in perfect view, right in front of him. He saw nearly every inch of her skin, except for what lay hidden behind her white lacy bra and boy shorts. He nearly fell over trying to get his new pants on as she turned around and bent over a little to pick up her new clothes. He gazed at her back again, which still framed the beautiful angel wings tattoo.

"You know ye never told meh why ye got tha'." Duff said.

Abby turned her head to look at him. Golden locks dangled in front of her face and she tried pulling them behind her ear, but they just fell and covered her face again.

"What do you mean?"

"Te tattoo."

"What tattoo?" Abby asked. She raised an eyebrow.

Duff raised an eyebrow right back. "Uhh…te _huge _one on yer back? Te wings?"

Abby widened her eyes. "…_oh_, that. Sorry…I've…had it for so long I sometimes forget it's there. It's…a long story. Not for right now."

"Mm."

_Secrets_, Duff thought.

Abby continued to get dressed, keeping her back to Duff. He couldn't avert his eyes from her butt. It was impossible. She had a perfect body. It wasn't super skinny or bony or firm, but not fat either. She had curves in all the right places, but she didn't have any excess weight in the wrong places. He wanted to hold her against him and feel every inch of her, like when they first kissed. He started to breathe heavy and feel warm just watching her.

Duff thought about that kiss. The memory of it relaxed him and made him smile. He remembered how happy he was. Abby was his true happiness. He knew they had to talk about Abby's husband, but Duff wouldn't let this man stand in between them. He's been fighting all his life for this one woman.

Duff and Abby finished dressing into their disguises. Griffin chained both of them with a special handcuff. Instead of two rings that went around the wrists, it was a block of the drone alloy with two holes that tightened to the size of each wrist. Only Griffin could unlock it with a special key that matched his drone 'DNA'.

They got out of the coach and it took off to resume its trail around the island. Griffin walked behind Duff and Abby, whose faces were covered by their costumes, and pretended to force them into Base. The doors opened and they all walked in with ease. The guards didn't stop them because they saw Griffin. The drone led them into a special elevator, clear like the last one Duff was in, but it was used only for the Triad. This elevator had access to their quarters. Griffin hit a few buttons and pass codes, and up the elevator they went.

Abby watched as they ascended and moved past the many floors. "This place is very…interesting."

"By interesting ye mean whut?" Duff mumbled.

"Do not speak, I will not ask again." Griffin yelled. Duff forgot they could still be monitored, and they were still in role-play.

Once they reached the top floor, the elevator door opened and Griffin stepped into a holographic sphere. The sphere circled around him and scanned his body up and down. A robotic voice said _'Confirmed match. Drone number 1.0, welcome Griffin.'_

The sphere disappeared and many bright lights turned on. Duff and Abby stepped out, and they were all standing in a grand foyer. The walls and floors were of white marble, and decorated with luxurious ivory furniture.

The elevator doors closed. "We are free to speak without restriction now," Griffin announced. "Make yourselves comfortable. Pardon my quarters, for they are not fit for a human. You will find no kitchen or bathroom here, but I have a guest room that you may find useful. There is a small bathroom attached to it, and I may request food to be sent from Paranologia and brought up to this accommodation."

"If this place isn't fit for a human, then why are your chairs _so _comfortable?" Abby said as she sank into a plush velvet lounge chair.

Griffin lifted his chin and looked down at her. "Though I am not human, I am programmed to have character. I have been chosen to enjoy such luxuries."

Duff felt a grumble in his stomach. "Ye know we didn' 'ave breakfast…"

"Then I will request a meal right away." Griffin took out what looked like a cell phone and dialed a service line. He spoke a strange language into it. Duff understood it, but Abby just looked confused as she stared at the drone. Griffin hung up. "You will be supplied with food in a short time. Let us begin."

The three sat in plush ivory chairs around a glass table. Griffin lay down some papers and took out an old fountain pen to write with. He was programmed to live old ways. He began to write down some formulas and drawings, and drew a map of Base.

"This floor is for wave communication. We can build a small device which can be attached and downloaded into the system. There is a laser which can emit the sound waves we need across the entire island within just a few minutes. We just need to build this device and get access to this section of Base."

"We shouldn' 'ave eh problem wit tha'. Te drones won' ever expect ye te betray tem. They trust ye more than Ace an' Four, eh'll bet." Griffin nod his head. "An' as fer ye…eh think eh should jus' surgically remove yer antennae. If ye go inte the communications section of Base wearin' eh reflective helmet, they'll be suspicious."

"Good idea. When will we plan this surgical procedure?"

"As soon as possible. Eh can do it right 'ere, but eh'll need some equipment. Eh'll need surgical knives, eh drill tha' could break through diamond, eh super magnifying eyeglass, tweezers an' eh electrical saw tha' are hair-thin, an' eh bright light."

"I can easily obtain those items from the floor you were on just the other day, where they transform the hybrids and repair corrupted drones. I will wait until your _break-fast _arrives and then obtain these items."

About twenty minutes later a bell sounded that someone was at the elevator. Griffin instructed Duff and Abby to hide in another room while he took the food from the drone servant. The elevator doors were just opening when Duff took Abby's hand and quickly pulled her into the nearest hidden space—a small, dark closet. They fit in and closed the door just as the drone stepped out of the elevator to meet Griffin. The spherical hologram confirmed the servant's identity and Griffin confirmed that he was allowed to enter the foyer.

Inside the closet, the walls and floors were also made of marble, but with the door closed, it was pitch black. The closet was filled with Griffin's luxurious wardrobe, and it was only big enough for Duff and Abby to fit in, chest to chest, with no extra room. How they managed to get inside so comfortably and so quickly was a mystery.

"Why do we always find ourselves in such awkward situations?" Abby mumbled.

"Maybe we're meant te be in t'ese situations fer eh reason."

"And what reason would….oh." Abby realized what he meant. She remember the last 'awkward' situation they were in, when she just got out of the shower and fell on top of him on the castle floor. He was referring to a romantic or sexual reason…which one he thought of first, she couldn't tell.

"Eh'm kiddin'…" Duff said, remembering that Abby was still not ready to move on yet. It was hard for him to remember that what happened that morning didn't _really _happen, even if it felt so real.

"No you're not."

Duff sighed. "Eh wish eh wus, but yer righ'…ehm nae."

It was not the servant's place to ask, but he may have been curious about why a drone would need human food. Griffin decided to inform him that he had 'human guests', and he desired an abundance of food to present to his starving guest to assist with an interrogation. The messenger praised Griffin for his ruthless tactics.

"Heh heh…that is good work 1.0, use the human's curse…show him the drone is stronger, we do not need to rely on food and water for survival. We are the ultimate race! Yes you show him the curse of being dependant on their Earth…we can live and adapt anywhere! We do not need food, not like those damned _hybrids_…"

"Thank you for your delivery." Griffin cut him off. The messenger was now quiet, realizing he was just taking up a member of the Triad's time. Griffin didn't need to give him a trading card. Any service that was given to the Triad was automatically paid by the service they did for the entire island on a daily basis. It was like asking the President to pay for a pizza pie. The drones didn't feel like the Triad needed to submit to any form of civilian work. Everything was gladly complimentary.

Duff and Abby waited and waited in the dark. They were silent, but the fact that their bodies were so close encouraged Duff to come up with more fantasies that he knew wouldn't happen. It was so quiet that he could hear Abby's breathing. He listened to it carefully. It was slow and relaxing at first, almost like she was closing her eyes and trying to meditate. Gradually, her breathing became quicker and heavier. Duff took that as a hint that maybe she was thinking of things, too. Duff put his hand on her hip and almost immediately in response Abby put her hand on his chest.

Duff was confused. He wanted to know what she really felt for him. He wanted to know right _now_. He didn't know what to say, though. He mumbled her name, and he felt like all his emotion was there for her to hear just from that one word.

"Abby…"

He heard her sigh. It wasn't a tired sigh, or a sad sigh, it was an anxious, intimate, sexy sigh. Duff took that as an invitation to place his other hand on the back of her head and stroke her soft hair. He felt Abby lean in, and he thought she was going to kiss him, but his lips brushed her hair and he felt her head on his chest. He continued to hold her and they stayed like that for a few minutes.

'_What's taking Griffin so long?' _Duff thought. He didn't hear any voices outside.

Duff chuckled. He knew what was going on…Griffin knew that Duff had feelings for Abby…he was purposely leaving them in the closet so they could kiss or something. It amused Duff. Griffin was his favorite for a reason.

"What's so funny?" Abby mumbled. Duff felt her head lift from his chest.

He continued to chuckle. "Nuthin'. Eh jus' really want te kiss ye righ' now." He looked down, and though he couldn't see anything, he could feel that Abby's face was close to his. He didn't move closer to her, though, or try to find her lips. "But eh meant whut eh said…eh don' want te hurt or confuse ye."

A few more moments passed and Duff was getting anxious. He tried so hard to not get so excited. He didn't want his dream from this morning to come true. He felt hot, he still held Abby and she still had her hands on his chest, and every inch of his body was antsy and itchy. He wanted to kiss and touch her. His heart beat fast and he hoped Abby couldn't hear it.

He heard Abby sigh again. Another intimate, sexy sigh. She mumbled softly, more to herself than to him. "I want to kiss you too."

Duff lost his control again. "Fuck it." he leaned in, and at first he didn't know what part of her body his lips were touching, but he didn't care. He started kissing, he found her collarbone, then her chest, then her neck, chin, and lips. His body had a mind of its own. He wanted to taste all of her. He felt Abby's hands slide up his chest and over his shoulders and arms. She was feeling his muscle. Duff just continued to kiss her lips and all over her jaw and neck like he was a hungry dog. He reached her lips again and bit them, remembering his dream. Abby moaned a little and gripped his biceps tighter. Duff wanted her now. He didn't want to leave the closet. The more they kissed the more room he needed. Abby stopped to pull back and breathe. Just at that moment, the door swung wide open and Griffin stood in front of them.

"Are you no longer hungry?" he said. He turned his head to Duff and though bandages covered his face, Duff could tell he was smirking.

"No, I'm still starving." Abby said. Her hands slid down his forearms and her fingertips brushed the palms of his hands. Duff didn't know if she _meant_ to say that as a sexual pun, but it was hot. The two of them awkwardly tried to shuffle out of the closet and nearly stumbled over onto the floor. They looked out into the hall and saw a large rectangular cart displaying a feast of foods they could not identify.

"I will be off to get the materials needed for my surgery. I shall be back in a short time."

Griffin walked back to the elevator and ascended down. Abby stared at all the food before them.

"What is all of this?" she asked.

Duff walked up behind her and put his arms around her waist. She gasped a little, not expecting him to do that. He held her tightly and rested his head over her shoulder. "Tha' in te corner is eh pot o' julco. It's eh hot bubbly drink similar te wine. Tha' o'er there is kundrak, eh mixture of herbs an' vegetables tha' grow on te island. Tha's eh bowl of fruits native 'ere, tha' dish is muepil, eh spread of nuts an' herbs, there's cheeses 'ere, an' yogurt from eh goat…everythin' is fresh an' organic…"

Abby put her hands over his. "The way they prepare everything is so strange…it doesn't even look like food."

"Frankly it's nae food ehm hungry fer."

Abby breathed a bit heavier when he said that, and Duff kissed her neck. Abby closed her eyes and whispered, "I shouldn't be doing this."

"Dye nae like it?" he kissed her neck again.

"I just shouldn't be doing this. I feel disloyal."

"Ehm sure he'd want ye te be happy." Duff whispered.

"He never…had that kind of attitude."

"He wus eh jealous man?"

"For a good reason."

Duff loosened his hold on her. Abby turned a little and looked at him. "…oh." Duff said. _This _he didn't know either.

"That was…a long time ago, though. I don't think he ever forgot."

"Look, ye…made eh mistake. So did eh. Eh mean ehm thankful fer Bessie, but eh hurt mehself in te process. It wus wrong fer meh te do in te first place. Eh didn't care abou' loyalty because it wus meh brother. Ye haven't forgiven yerself, 'ave ye?"

Abby looked away. Tears formed in her eyes. "…no."

"Tha's probably whuts holdin' ye back from movin' ehn."

"I know."

Duff looked down. "Ehm sorry te say eh dunno whut te tell ye. Eh didn' regret it, because if it didn' happen, Bessie wouldn' be in meh life. Eh guess everythin' happens fer eh reason."

"Was the reason to break a heart and cause pain to our lives? That's all that happened because of what I did. I still don't even know why I really did it. It was simple…I wanted…"

"Someone else?"

"Not that I was upset in my relationship…I wanted a new experience. I wanted to have fun. I remembered the first time we fell in love and how exciting it was. After a couple of years it wasn't exhilarating every day like it used to be. But I don't know…it doesn't justify…"

"Eh know." Duff held her close as she started to cry again.

"I'm sorry I'm such a mess. I can't…I can't keep doing this."

"Whut dye mean?"

"I can't…act this way with you anymore. Not until…" Abby choked back tears. "I just can't keep giving into my feelings and putting myself into situations and…"

Duff knew what she was saying. It broke his heart a little, but he understood. She was there for him, and now he needed to be there for her. He let go of her and stepped away. He took a plate from the cart and filled it with a little of everything. He poured a glass half-full of julco and handed both to her.

"Go. Eat in a separate room if you please. I don't want to make you uncomfortable." He said it in monotone. Abby could hear the pain in his voice, and it just made her even more upset. She couldn't stand bringing others pain anymore. She took the glass and plate and left the room.

When Griffin got back, he walked into his quarters to see Duff lounging next to the buffet cart, loosely holding a nearly-emptied bottle of julco.

"…what happened?" the drone asked.

"Fucking love sucks." Duff mumbled. He was clearly drunk.

Griffin approached him, took the bottle, and placed it back on the cart. "What happened after I left? Did you and Miss Abigail have a fight?"

"Abigail is such eh beautiful name…eh want te 'ave another daughter an' name 'er _Abigail_…listen te how it rolls off te tongue…_Abb-eh-gaaaailll…_"

"Oh my." Griffin said.

"But someone always gets te her first…someone always gets in meh way…say, one point oh, ehm standin' behind another brick wall in meh life, think eh can punch meh way out?"

"You need to get some rest. You cannot perform surgery in this condition. Where is Miss Abigail?"

Duff responded by throwing punches to the air. "Whut does it matter if eh break eh few bones an' loose eh wee blood…tis only bricks…"

Griffin got up to search for Abby. He knocked on a door and walked in to find an empty plate and empty glass, and Abby was curled up in the guest bed. Griffin ran to her side, for she looked like she was dead. The drone shook her body lightly.

"Miss Abigail…? Are you sick?"

Abby opened her eyes a little to see a bandaged face and tinted red goggles.

"Your eyes are red, and you have white streaks on your face." Griffin said.

Abby smirked a little. "So do you."

Griffin didn't understand. Abby lifted herself out of bed a little. "I was crying."

"Crying?"

"Yes, I was upset."

"That is when you humans leak water from your eyes."

"Yes."

"What caused you to cry?"

"Things have been complicated for me and Duff."

"He feels love for you very much."

"I know how he feels. I just don't know how _I _feel, or how I should feel.

"He was very upset from this. He drank all the julco and I am afraid he is now acting very strange."

Abby looked up. "He's drunk?"

"Yes I believe that is what humans call such action."

Abby moaned and held her head like it was hurting. "This is all my fault, all I do is cause pain."

"I do not believe so. If that was a fact, I do not think Duff would have become so smitten with you."

Abby said nothing but she started to cry again. Griffin shifted his body awkwardly.

"Um…do you require physical comfort?"

"Huh?"

"I learned once that the action of what you call a 'hug' to be quite effective in comforting another individual."

Abby laughed a little. The way he worded things amused her. "Sure, just not too hard."

Griffin gently wrapped his arms around her shoulders and hugged her, awkwardly. After a few seconds he pulled back.

"Was 4.67 seconds sufficient time for comfort?"

"You have already comforted me in more ways than one, thank you."

Griffin bowed his head in response. "Did you discuss your secret with Duff?"

Abby nearly snapped her neck she turned her head so fast to look at him. "What do you mean? What secret?"

"I sense you are a special human. You have an extraordinary physical anatomy."

"Wait…you know…?"

"I am a drone. I can scan and read your chromosomes." He said, as a joke.

"Duff doesn't know anything about it. He can't know. Not now."

"I understand. Come and help me bring Duff to rest. I will bring him to the room I am holding his friends. The new hybrid is healing well. Now Duff needs healing, too."

Abby followed Griffin into the living room. Duff was holding the bottle of julco again, swirling the last few drops round and round the bottom, gazing at the motion like it was art. Griffin took the bottle again and easily lifted him up. Duff saw Abby as she stood in front of him.

"Ah, beautiful, ye know eh wus thinkin' tha' eh might 'as well jus' fuck ye now, since it'll never 'appen. Let's see…let me ah her, ehm doomed te misery anyway, eh wus cursed te be unhappy. Eh don' deserve love. T'ese dead husbands keep cumin' back te haunt meh."

His words brought tears to Abby's eyes. She tried to help Griffin carry him, not like he needed any, but she wanted to make sure Duff went to bed.

As they walked towards the medical room Griffin was holding Kim and Ron, Duff tried to grab at Abigail and made sexual comments that made her uncomfortable. He was acting like she was another woman he brought home for the night. He spoke rancid to her.

"Do not pay attention to the things he says. Julco is not alcohol or a drug, but it encourages hallucinations. Duff is not himself."

"Will he be okay in the morning?" they reached the medical room. When Griffin opened the door, Abby saw that Kim was up and caring for Ron, who looked half awake.

"He will most certainly have ache in his head."

"What happened to him?" Kim asked.

"Lassie, yer hair is ehn fire." Duff told her.

"He drank too much julco." Griffin stated. Kim didn't know what julco was, but she understood the concept.

Griffin lay him down on a bed and strapped his arms and legs in tight drone-alloy cuffs.

"Is that completely necessary?" Abby asked.

"As the julco runs through his body he will start to become violent. I advise you do not witness this event."

"No, I'm staying."

"Then I will stay and protect you."

As Duff mumbled to himself, Kim came up to Abby and looked at her suspiciously.

"Hey…how did you get on this island? We left you home with Duff's daughter. Did you use Duff's ray gun to break through the force field?"

"Um…yes, I did use the ray gun. He left an extra one in his lab."

"Why did you come here though? I remember he wanted you to stay at the castle."

"He was in trouble. I had to protect him."

"How did you know he was in danger?" Kim crossed her arms. The crime fighting part of her felt like there was something fishy going on with this woman.

"Kim…" she heard Ron call her name, weakly. It sounded like his throat was stuffed with cotton balls. Kim immediately forgot about Abby and ran to his side.

Abby looked back at Duff. She took a chair and sat down next to him. She sat for hours and watched as he mumbled to himself how miserable and loveless his life was. Then his wrists began to jerk in the chains. Abby looked down and saw his fingers twitching.

"Duff?"

He continued to speak unintelligently and he began to jerk his head back and forth like a madman. The muscles in his arms flexed and his chest heaved up and down to his raspy breathing. Abby felt Griffin's hand on her shoulder.

"Why don't you leave now."

"I'm staying here with him."

"He is feverish now…he does not even know you are here. He cannot see you."

"I _said _I'm staying _with _him!" Abby growled like she turned into a ferocious monster and it startled Griffin so much, he took a step back. He thought maybe she had a little too much julco, too.

Duff started to fight his way out of the metal cuffs. Every single muscle in his arms and chest bulged as he tried to rip through the indestructible metal. He thought he was the strongest man alive, and that he could break through anything. He couldn't feel the pain in his wrists, he couldn't feel the blood dripping down his palms. Abby started to panic when she saw the blood. He wasn't going to stop. She shook Griffin, and he was surprised at the strength she had.

"Do something! He's going to break his wrists!"

Duff was growling and shaking the bed violently. "There is nothing I can do. I cannot give him an anesthesia, it will kill him at this point. The julco must run its way through without any excess chemicals in the body."

"Can't you hold him down more or calm him somehow?"

"Nothing can calm a human with an overdose of julco in the blood."

Abby wouldn't sit with this. She launched herself onto the bed and kneeled next to Duff. Griffin reacted at the speed of a rocket and tried to pull her off. He was surprised that she was strong enough to resist him. She was fighting to lean over Duff's raging body but Griffin wouldn't let that happen. He promised Duff that he would protect her.

Griffin forced Abby away. He locked her in his grasp and she struggled, like she was going mad too. She started yelling.

"Duff! _Duff! Stop it!_" her voice expressed pain. She was hurt that he turned to harm himself to cope with his pain. She was hurt that she caused him to do it. She felt claustrophobic in Griffin's steel grip. She wanted to rip his arms off in whatever way she could. She was acting just like Duff. Both of them were raging, but for different reasons. Abby screamed louder.

"_DUFFAILE! Please! _You promised me…"

In Duff's hysteric mind, a part of him could hear her voice. He heard her pain. He couldn't see where she was. Was she in danger? He remembered his dream, and seeing the blood on his hands in bed with her. It made him angrier. He felt like his body was encased in a block of drone-alloy. Abby was in pain, and he wouldn't let a material he made several years ago stop him from saving her.

"_Duuuuuuff!" _Abby screamed.

Kim had been watching the act, and she was beginning to get worried. Abby's screams were blood-curdling, and Duff's body looked like it was about to explode.

"How long do these hallucinations last?" Kim yelled at Griffin. It was hard to be heard over Abby.

"A couple hours." Griffin yelled back. "Help me with her…I think it's best if I strap her down as well, I am sorry to say."

As Kim got another cot ready, she heard a strange noise. She looked over at Duff, and could see that the cuffs were starting to strain and bend.

"Uhh…Griffin? I thought you said your special drone metal was indestructible?"

The drone looked over and saw that Duff was actually distorting the chains. He could hear the links stretching. Duff was lifting his torso up off the bed, and pulling his arms up, like he was trying to haul an airplane all by himself…and he was doing it.

Griffin released Abby to restrain Duff again, but she was faster. She jumped onto the bed and sat right on top of Duff. She quickly placed her hands in his and intertwined their fingers.

"No!" Griffin shouted. Duff was going to break her delicate hands. He thought he was about to hear dozens of tiny bones cracking, but he didn't. By the time he reached the edge of the bed, Duff had calmed down. He was still breathing heavy and acted like he was blind, but he wasn't jerking his body or forcing himself out of the cuffs. He was relaxing. It amazed Griffin.

"It isn't possible…she controlled him." He mumbled.

"That's the power of human emotion, I guess." Kim said.

Duff and Abby breathed heavy in unison. Duff looked up at her, but he could not see her face. It was a blur. He felt her hands, though. The julco still pumped through his blood but his heart raced out of passion, not rage. Duff closed his eyes and mumbled Abby's name, so low no one could hear him, but he mouthed her name over and over again. Abby looked down at him, trying to calm him with her gaze. Her eyes were filled with tears. She wiped them away with her fingers, then placed them over Duff's lips. His breathing became slower.

"It's incredible. I never believed in the miracles so many humans believe in…I thought they were only tricks of the mind…"

Kim looked at Griffin strangely. Was he going insane too?

Abby forced Griffin to unlock Duff's chains. He obeyed willingly. Abby took some bandages and wrapped Duff's wrists to stop the blood flow. He had strained his wrists so much, his skin had peeled off. She lay down next to him, a continued to hold his hand. Griffin left the room and instructed Kim to do so as well. She insisted to stay with Ron, but Griffin promised her that he was taken care of, and needed nothing but rest.

When they left the room, Kim paced back and forth down the hallway.

"There is something strange about Abby. I can't put my finger on it, but I just don't feel like she's…normal. Or that she can be trusted. She's hiding something."

"Yes, she is." Griffin stated.


	25. Angel, part 8

**Angel, part 8**

Duff opened his eyes and saw red. His head pounded. It literally felt like someone was hitting his head with a hammer. He moaned loudly and held the back of his head. The pain was excruciating. He was about to get up when he felt heavier than usual. He could still only see red, but with his hands he felt a woman lying down on top of him. He felt Abigail.

He tried to lift his head again but the hammer pounded faster. He moaned louder. It woke Abby up. She looked at him in pain and put a hand to his cheek.

"Are you okay?"

"Och…_fuck_…whut 'appened?"

"You drank a little too much red bubbly juice."

Duff moaned even louder. "Eh didn' think te hallucinations would 'ave been _tha _bad…"

He heard Abby gasp and sit up. "You knew what would happen if you drank all of it?"

"Of course eh did…_ow!_" Abby had slapped him _hard _across the face.

"After everything I taught you, you still run to drugs when you're in pain."

"Abby ehm sorry, it wus eh slip-up." Duff's vision started to come back to him. He could see light, the outline of Abby's face. As her features came into focus, her angry expression scared him.

"Ehm…ehm sorry." He mumbled. He felt terrible that he hurt her. The pain grew in his head. His heart cracked a little as he watched that her expression didn't change from disappointment.

"Obviously you still don't think about the things you do, or care if it will affect others. How can you say you love me and still do these things to me?"

Duff tried to take her hand but she got up and left the room. She slammed the door behind her. The noise made his headache worse, and he tried to remember what happened last night. He only vaguely remembered things he felt. Duff looked down at his hands, and noticed his wrists were bandaged. His body ached.

"_Fuck…fuck…_" he mumbled continuously to himself as he tried to get up and stumbled to walk. Thankfully, Griffin opened the door and caught Duff before he was about to fall.

"What happened now? Abigail seemed very upset walking out of the room just now." He asked.

"Och…eh told er tha' eh knew whut eh wus gettin' mehself inte when eh drank all te julco…we got inte tha' fight las' nigh' an' eh got so upset…eh felt like how eh used te feel before Abby wus aroun'. Eh felt low, like eh couldn' take livin' anymore. Eh wanted te make mehself suffer, because eh felt like eh deserved it. It hurts so much more te try te be happy then te try an' be miserable. Tha' make any sense te ye?"

"I'm sorry to say, no, it does not make much sense. But I understand that it is not possible for me to understand every decision the human mind makes."

"Yer nae much different than eh psychologist." Duff mumbled.

Griffin placed him down on the bed again. "Are you feeling better?"

"Are ye kiddin?" Duff held his head and cried out in pain. "How dye _think _eh feel?"

"I cannot say I know."

"Well eh'll tell ye…eh feel like meh brain is gonna melt righ' outteh meh ears!"

"I imagine that to feel very painful."

"No _fuck_! Why didn' ye stop meh?"

"I had left to get the supplies for my…surgery, and by the time I got back you had already drained the bottle." Griffin shifted uncomfortably. "I see we might have to wait another day or so before you are well enough to—"

"Nae, eh'll be fine. Eh can do it later tonight. Eh jus' need te relax fer eh few more hours…where did Abby go?" Griffin stuttered, unsure of what to say. Duff found that unusual. Griffin's speech and charisma were perfect. He probably knew better English than any human in the world. Duff let it go, however. The only thing that really mattered at that moment was the inexplicable headache he had, and how much he wished he had Abby resting on top of him again. "Where is Abby? Eh need her…" he moaned.

Griffin stood up to search for the young woman, but when he turned around he saw her standing in the doorway.

"Oh you need me, do you?" she mocked. Duff tried to lift his head to look at her. The hammer pounded harder. He felt like he had a giant bloody hole in the back of his head and his brain was all mashed up. "Well I'm not going to comfort you. I'm not going to run to your side every fucking time you screw yourself over."

"Abby…" Duff moaned.

"No, I don't want to hear it! I taught you a lesson that was important to me, to your daughter, and to yourself. You almost died last night. You always have near-death experiences because of the poor choices _you _make. If you don't start making sense of what you have inside that head of yours…"

"Abby, please…eh can' take it…"

She sighed. She couldn't yell at him for long before she started to feel guilty.

"It's my job to take care of you. I promised to help you. How can I do that with such difficulty? Sometimes I can't take it either, Duff."

With that, Abby walked out of the room. Griffin tried to make Duff more comfortable by putting a blanket over him and fluffing his pillows, but it just annoyed it him.

"Get your rest. We will worry about the plan after you fully recover."

Duff mumbled something unintelligent and swatted Griffin away like a fly. He left the room and closed the door behind him. Duff soon felt that he wasn't alone in the room. He looked over and saw a scarred, sick Ron Stoppable staring at him.

"Whut te fuck are ye lookin' at buffoon?" he growled. Then, he turned his head and tried to fall asleep without dying in the process.

_Several hours later…_

Duff stumbled out of the room and entered the hallway. He walked like an ape, and felt like a wild animal tranquilized, but still fighting to escape and stay alive. Miraculously he was able to make it to the kitchen without falling over once. When he got to the door he held onto the doorframe to support himself and caught his breath. When he looked up, he saw Abby and Griffin sitting at the table, drinking tea together. When they saw him, Abby looked the other way while Griffin got up and helped Duff walk over to his chair and sit down. Griffin poured a glass of a hot, bubbly purple drink and set it in front of him.

"Whut's tis now? Eh've never had it." Duff asked.

"It is called pulcho. It is a new concoction. When a human or a hybrid drinks it, a wave of energy washes over them and the herbs inside heal the body. I have heard great things about it, so I ordered some to be brought up for you."

"It's actually pretty good…" Abby mumbled. When Duff looked into her cup, he saw that it wasn't tea after all.

Duff took a sip of the purple drink. As soon as the liquid went down his throat, he felt as if a beam of light was in the center of his body and was emitting rays outward, which reached every organ to the tip of each of his fingers. He felt refreshed, detoxified, and healthy.

"And do not drink it all at once, or as you may phrase, 'do not gulp', or we may face yet another health defect."

"T'ese drinks should come wit label warnings." Duff mumbled as he took another sip.

"Yes I believe so."

Duff was feeling better the more he drank the pulcho. He looked across the table at Abigail. She faced the side, staring off into the distance. She couldn't look at him. Duff wanted to reach over the table and take her hand, but he remembered that she didn't want to be involved romantically with him. Duff argued in his mind whether holding her hand was romantic or not, but he didn't want to upset Abby more than she already was.

Griffin observed them, and could tell they needed to talk about some things. He exited the room without a word. Duff was grateful for that, and he took in the silence. Abby continued to either look off to the side or into her cup. He didn't know what he was going to say, but he knew he needed to say something.

"Abby…"

"Don't." she interrupted.

"Whut happened te us? Eh don' understand why yer angry wit meh…"

"Why did you do it?" she asked.

Duff looked at her. He knew she was talking about the julco. "Eh did it because eh felt alone."

"What does feeling alone have to do with nearly killing yourself?" she snapped. "I taught you countless times to release your emotions in a healthy manner. You should have come to me. I would rather you talk to me then drink. Why did you disregard everything I said this past year?"

"Because tis wus eh different kind eh pain. Eh know ye told meh ye couldn' be wit meh until ye've figured things out, but te way ye pushed me away…it felt like eh couldn't 'ave ye at all. Eh cannae live meh life anymore knowing tha' eh cannae 'ave ye. Eh didn' want te live anymore…an' eh felt like Bess didn' matter, eh told mehself tha' she would soon be old enough te take care o' herself an' nae need her father anymore…she always knew eh wus in pain an' she'd understand…"

"Don't you _ever _say that _again_. It would tear her apart if you died."

"Eh know…but it's how eh wus thinkin' last night. Abby…eh've finally realized whut te meanin' of life is…fer meh. Eh've struggled meh whole life te find happiness…te find ye…an' te love ye. An' eh cannae think of te possibility tha' eh won' be able te do tha'."

"If your love for me was unconditional, it wouldn't matter if you could have me or not. You would love me even if I never felt the same about you and never would, and you would care about me and do anything for me. But I'm not asking you to do that. I do…care about you, and love you, but in a way that I think is slightly different from your love. But I'm not ready to talk about these things and I'm not ready to become romantically involved with you. There are also…things about me that you don't know, and I feel like if you knew every part of me, you wouldn't love me."

"Are ye an alien?" Duff joked. Abby looked to the side again and shifted in her seat.

"…no."

"Then whutever it is ye've done, or whoever ye are, ehm sure eh'd understand an' meh love fer ye wouldn' change. Aye, eh look ah ye as an innocent creature an' eh cannae possibly imagine ye doin' anythin' bad, but eh know tha' its eh possibility because aye, eh know tha' eh part o' ye is eh mystery te meh. Eh _want _ye te talk te meh. Eh know yer uncomfortable, an' tha' trust isn't eh trade, but eh want ye te ah least know tha' if ye do ever want te talk abou' yer life, te littlest detail, ehm here fer ye an' eh'll listen te whutever it is. Aye, eh do love ye unconditionally, an' if ye never want meh, eh'll still love ye an' take meh life fer ye. But it would bring meh unconditional pain."

"Your love is not unrequited. I just need time." she whispered. "And kissing you doesn't help."

Duff's heart cracked a little more. "Eh get it." Abby could easily hear pain in his voice.

"Please don't be angry with me." She begged.

Duff took her hand. The gesture was compassionate, he justified. "Ehm nae angry wit ye. Ehm sad…but eh'd never be angry wit ye, nae over tis, nae over a lot o' things."

"When do I make you angry?"

Duff thought. He wanted to say never, but that wasn't true. "Well…eh wus angry when ye disobeyed meh an' came te the island an' left Bess home wit yer…friends."

Abby looked uncomfortable about this subject again. Duff pressed questions, out of concerns for his daughter. "Abby please tell meh who t'ese people are. Ehm her father, eh 'ave eh right te know."

"I told you who they were. When we get back to the castle you'll meet them."

"Well whut are their names? How did ye meet them? How long 'ave ye known them fer? Whut do they look like? Ah least tell meh sometin, or are ye too uncomfortable tellin' meh these things too?"

"I've known them practically my whole life. I…work for them."

"Ye work fer them…currently?"

"Huh?" Abby's eyes widened. "Um…I meant _worked_. Past tense."

"Well whut wus te job?"

"Um…I used to work as a….uh…well I worked with people and helped them cope with their life."

"Like eh therapist?"

"Well, no…I would visit them every day and be more like a friend rather than a doctor."

"Oh…eh see. Makes sense." Duff smiled. He liked to hear a little something about Abigail's past. It made him feel light and happy to hear her open up to him, even if it was just one fact.

"An' t'ese friends o' yers came all te way te meh island in Scotland? Te babysit meh daughter?"

"I…they…owed me."

"Fer whut?"

"For the work I did."

"How did tey owe ye jus' fer workin' fer tem?"

"Let's just say it wasn't a paying job."

"Whut, like volunteering?"

"Not exactly."

"How'd ye get money then?"

"…I didn't."

"Ye were…?" Duff couldn't find the right word to use without sounding mean.

"What, poor? No."

"So yer fam had money?"

"No. I didn't have a…family."

"Then yer husband…?"

Abby looked down when Duff mentioned him. "…no. This was after his death."

"He didn' leave ye anythin'?"

"Err…there was nothing to leave. Let's just say where I…lived, money wasn't important."

Duff blinked. He tried to think. "An' where exactly wus tha'? Te jungle?"

Abby laughed at that. "No. People think that it is so crucial in life to have lots of money and that it will bring happiness. Money is just an illusion."

"But ye need money te have eh roof o'er yer head an' eat, buy clothin', education…ye don' need an abundance of money, but ye need enough te get by. Ehm rich; meh fam always had money, an' eh like te buy lavish things, but when eh grew up meh Ma taught meh tha' money wusn' everythin' either. Meh fam never bought meh toys er fancy clothes an' we didn' eat fancy dinners. Eh wus taught te appreciate everythin' meh ancestors did te get money so our fam could live in peace fer generations. If we struggled, we would still 'ave money te feed ourselves an' be comfortable."

"That's nice. When I was growing up, my mother would never give me money for anything, and she always told me to ask my father. He would often buy me things to make me happy, but it never did. Whenever I got money for my birthday or Christmas or for whatever reason, I spent it immediately on super expensive things that I loved to look at, like art, but never used or wore. When I was old enough to get a job and get a credit card, I lost track of how much I made versus how much I was spending. I was an impulse buyer. I always had been. I would buy something and return it a week later. The experience was so frustrating. I didn't know how to handle money or material items and I had issues with my identity and buying clothes for myself. Then, eventually I learned how money was an illusion. It's hard to explain it. People think money is needed in life, and in a way it is, but sometimes it isn't."

Duff was still holding her hand. He squeezed it and looked into her eyes. "Thank ye fer sharin' tha' part o' yer life wit meh." Abby looked down. He caught her smirk a little, but she tried to hide it. "An' eh think eh can guess somethin' abou' ye now."

Abby looked up, her eyes a little wider. She looked surprised, and almost a little scared. "What?"

"Ye were eh fuckin' Buddhist or Monk er sometin', tha's whut. All tis 'money is an illusion' philosophy. Seriously, whut religion are ye?"

Abby smiled large enough for him to plainly see. "I am a very religious person, but it is a religion you would not be familiar with."

"Explain it."

"Another time. I'm…getting tired." Abby got up to wash her cup in the sink. She turned the faucet on and started rinsing out the purple goo coating the inside of the glass.

"Eh've never really been eh religious person. None o' meh fam wus, except fer meh grandmother. But eh think she did spells an' good luck charms an' curses an' all tha' voodoo. Eh think she learned from some ancient Celtic witchcraft er sometin' freaky like tha'."

Abby laughed a little and turned around to look at him. "So I guess I'm a freak then, because I do spells and all that voodoo as well."

Duff blinked. _That _he didn't know. "Um…by 'freaky' eh really meant nae freaky at all."

Abby smiled again. Duff smiled back, and they laughed together. He felt good. He felt happy. He had his Abigail back.

_Later…_

Duff found Griffin in the foyer, reading over blueprints and equations for the plan.

"Hey, Griffin, did ye end up gettin' all te supplies fer te surgery?"

The drone looked up and his big red goggles stared straight at Duff's face. He seemed to be scanning the man. "Yes, and I believe we can begin in a couple of days."

"Couple o' days? Why?" 

"You should have full mental clarity while performing such a patient task."

"Whut, ye think ehm nae clear in te head after las' night? Ehm fine. Eh drank te pulcho. We can do it tonight…now. We cannae waste time bein' 'ere. Te longer we stay, te faster Ace can get te Abby an' figure out te rest of us are plottin' together. They're probably plottin' right now, too. Have ye heard anythin'?"

"Well…yes. I went to a meeting today. She announced a hunt to scavenger the island and find the new Creator."

"_Whut?_ An' ye didn't _tell_ meh this? When did she announce tis?"

"The meeting was this morning."

"Then we have te move fast. We'll do te surgery tonight."

"But my scanners read that you are not fully recovered…even with the pulcho you should wait until all the effects of the julco leave your system."

"Yer scanners are too sensitive. Eh'll fix tha' too. Ehm feelin' _fine_. Mentally an' physically. Abigail an' eh aren' fightin' anymore. She'll be 'ere te help wit te surgery too."

"I don't know, my scanners detect…"

"Fuck yer scanners, Griffin! We need te start if we want te get off tis island alive! If we wait, we'll all be done fer."

Griffin said nothing in response. Duff could tell by his inaction that he was still cautious about Duff's health.

"Set up te room fer surgery. Eh'll find Abby. We'll do tis now…te sooner te better."

Griffin looked hesitant. Duff figured in his own drone way, he felt fear. Though drones were not afraid of pain, he may have been afraid whether or not the surgery would kill him or not, or be successful. Duff left the room before he could resist, and found Abigail in the guest room, lying down on the bed. She was fast asleep.

Duff felt bad waking her up, but it was for a good reason. He sat down on the edge of the bed and shook her a little. She moaned and stirred, but didn't wake.

"Abby…ye 'ave te get up." He shook her again.

She was mumbling in her sleep. Duff was about to shake her again, a little more rough, until he heard her mention his name. Instead of waking her, he leaned in to listen.

"Duff…he doesn't have to know…he can't, won't be able to handle…mm…ruin the…their happiness…I will fail."

Nothing she said made sense to him. What doesn't he have to know? What can't he handle? Why will she fail? Because she will ruin his happiness? The dots didn't connect in his mind. She was the reason he was happy. Duff couldn't think of a single thing about her past that he couldn't handle. Though, he knew she kept many secrets from him. He didn't even know her last name. She never told him in the beginning because her private information 'wasn't his business'. _'Well,' _Duff thought, _'now it is.'_

"Abby…" instead of shaking her, he put his arm around her and placed his hand on her heart. It was beating _very _slowly, and it got him worried. He rubbed her back with his other hand. It felt soft and thick, like her jacket was lined with fluff. Abby finally woke, and she turned around and looked up at him. She looked dazed and sleepy from waking from her dream. She felt his hand on her heart and placed her hand over his. She closed her eyes again.

"Abby ye 'ave te get up an' help meh wit Griffin's surgery."

"We're doing that now?"

Duff nod his head. He was hypnotized by her lips. They were full and soft, and had a rosy pink tint to them. They just seemed to be waiting for a kiss. Abby looked up at him again and noticed him staring. She felt slightly uncomfortable. Not because she didn't want him looking at her lips or wanting to kiss her, but because she wanted to kiss him too, but knew it was wrong.

Duff looked into her eyes and seemed to guess what she was thinking. He took her hand and squeezed it. He leaned in, and Abby's body froze in anxiety, but she relaxed again when he leaned past her face and put his lips to her ear.

"Why can't we jus' pretend tha' we're dreamin'? Jus' this once?" he whispered.

Abby froze again, and then relaxed. She half sighed, half moaned. Her eyes closed and she tried to control her twitching body and contain her emotions. "Oh, Duff…"

She meant to say that with sympathy in her voice, but it sounded like a completely different signal. Duff didn't know how to take that. Did she want him, or not?

Abby was holding his hand and rubbed his forearm. She grasped his muscles again. Duff noticed how she liked to do that, to feel his strength. In comparison to her body, Duff felt like a bull, and Abigail was a gazelle. She had tamed the bull in him, and was now reaping the benefits. She was able to see the beauty in him as well as the outside.

Duff wouldn't have been surprised if Abby was able to tame a live, raging bull on cue.

Duff's lips were still to her ear. He wanted to say so many things. He wanted to say how he secretly hated her husband. He couldn't even say the word to himself anymore. She still considered the man a 'husband', not an 'ex-husband' or anything to indicate a past relationship. But he knew she loved this man, and that losing him was a tragedy. It would be a long time before she moved on. And how could he help with that? He just made it worse by acting seductively around her. It made every bone in his body itch. He needed to release his emotions somehow. And if not by drugs, or sex, and Abby certainly didn't approve of violence…then what else was there?

Griffin thought to himself. He knew for a fact that the julco didn't leave Duff's system yet. He was relying on the other human, Abigail, to see over his surgery and make sure everything went smoothly and Duff didn't make any mistakes.

He waited and waited, and finally Duff returned with his partner. When Griffin saw her, his scanners sent extreme signals of alarm to his chip. It appeared as if she had just woken from a short period of sleep, and her brain cells were not fully active yet. She was not fully conscious. Griffin stood up. He looked around the room. He had set up an operating table, a stand for tools, and a bright light above the chair in the exact angle that would allow light to shine into the work area and not be blocked by Duff's shadow.

"Alrigh', let's get tis o'er with. Griffin, lie down on te table. Abby, shut 'em down. His switch is on te side o' te abdomen."

Griffin obeyed Duff's orders and lay down on the metal operating table. Abby came up to his left side and looked at him. Griffin looked back at her. She couldn't read his expression, but she assumed he was giving her an expressionless look anyway. She lifted up his jacket, and he gently grabbed her wrist. Abby gasped, slightly, and looked at him again.

"I wish I could feel the comfort you give to Duff. Please supervise his actions as much as possible. Do not allow a mistake." He said lowly.

"Everything will be fine, I promise you. Duff is a wonderful doctor. He knows what he is doing, and he is feeling fine from the other night. There is no need to feel fear, Griffin."

The drone nod his head and relaxed, as if he was going to sleep. Abby lifted up his jacket and shirt, and noticed a small scar in the shape of a box. She felt around it and was surprised that she was able to peel it back like she was peeling his skin right off. Underneath was a material meant to look similar to flesh, and embedded inside was a tiny metal switch. Abby had to force it to the right, and when she did so, Griffin fell limp.

"Oh, my. Duff? I think I…"

Duff walked over with a few instruments. "Don' worry, he's alrigh'. It's like sleepin' fer them, cept ye don' remember no dreams."

Duff took off Griffin's hat and goggles. He began to unwrap all the bandages around his face. Slowly, Griffin's true features appeared through the spaces. He had no face. It was covered in the fleshy material, but he had no skin.

"Why didn't you choose to give Griffin a face?" Abby asked.

"When eh made meh first drone, eh didn' think ehn appearance wus important. Whuts eh face if yer nae human? Drones don' care about beauty an' vanity an' all tha'. Eh thought it didn' make sense. Then, when eh made meh next one, eh realized tha' in order fer eh drone te disguise himself or herself in eh human world, tey mus' look human. But eh never fixed Griffin because te bandaged face he had became his face an' identity."

"Do you ever think he wants a face like the others?"

"Nae…eh knows his identity is special. All te drones know him fer his lack of eh face. He's infamous fer it. Some o' te drones wish _tey _didn' 'ave eh face either."

"So I guess your original idea was best."

"Aye, eh guess so."

Duff told Abby to stand back a few steps. He took out a small but very interesting hand saw. The blade was made of diamond, cut into extremely sharp shards. Duff turned it on and started to break through Griffin's metal skull, after slicing away the fleshy material. Once he sawed completely around the skull, he removed it and before them was a large cube of diamond, and inside another small metal cube could be seen. Duff took the diamond saw again and cut into the cube a special way, so it separated into four smaller cubes. Once the metal 'chip' was exposed, Duff put on a set of glasses with microscopic lenses. He zoomed in to search for the antennae. Once he found it, he used a tiny pair of surgical clippers to snip it right off.

Duff was about to attach everything together again when he noticed something strange. Abby saw him gazing at the spot where he just cut the antennae.

"Is everything okay?"

"There's eh part of Griffin's chip tha' looks discolored."

"That's probably because he's old. He's been around for a long time, right?"

"Eh don' think…eh dunno. It's nae like te chip 'as been encased in diamond all t'ese years…" Duff looked up at Abby, still wearing his microscopic glasses. "'as Griffin been acting strange lately?"

"Not that I've noticed. Then again, I don't know exactly how a drone should act."

Duff looked down at Griffin's 'brain' again. He was unsure of what the discoloration meant. It didn't seem like Griffin was corrupted, but this could be the first sign of it, only it hasn't fully affected the drone's actions yet. Duff didn't know if Ace or Four had the same problem when they became corrupted, and there was no way he could find out besides performing surgery on them, too, and that was not only impossible, but he didn't have the time to get sidetracked from their plan.

"So what does the discoloration mean?" Abby asked.

"Eh haven't looked inside eh drone's head since eh first made te Triad. Maybe yer right…maybe it's from _old age_, maybe his chip needs te be replaced, like an old hard drive on eh computer…or maybe it's serious. Maybe eh'm lookin' ah early detection of 'drone brain cancer'."

"You think he's corrupted?" Abby took Griffin's hand. She knew he couldn't feel it, but she felt like somehow it would help.

"Eh dunno. He hasn't been actin' funny, but it may nae 'ave affected him yet."

"Well…if he _is _corrupted, then what would you have to do? How can you fix that?"

"He would need eh new chip. An' eh don' 'ave te supplies fer tha'. He would need te get it fer meh, or we'd 'ave te go back te the castle."

"We don't have the time. And wouldn't he be suspicious?"

"Eh know."

"So what are you going to do?"

Duff thought for a minute. He tried to go with his instincts, but he had none. If Griffin was corrupted, there wasn't anything Duff could do to fix him at that point. They couldn't leave Griffin's loft without him, or they would get caught or killed. Duff had no supplies to recreate Griffin's chip. He also needed access to a special computer that could download all his information. If anything, they would need to turn Griffin's power back on, convince him to get them these supplies somehow, and then convince him to go through another surgery. Whether telling him he was possibly corrupted or not was a good idea, Duff didn't know.

"Well…there's nuthin' eh can do righ' now. Fer now eh'll just 'ave te fix em back up an' turn em back on. Te most important thing we 'ave te focus ehn is our original plan, an' gettin' off tis island. Eh imagined we would take Griffin wit us an' bomb te island. We can worry abou' him later."

"But what if he tries to ruin the plan or becomes corrupted before we get off the island?"

"Then we'll jus' 'ave te be extra careful an' watch fer te signs."

"Which are what?"

"Ye'll be able te tell. Te both of us know how Griffin acts."

Abby was about to ask another question, but she just sighed. "Alright." She didn't know what else to say. She was worried now, for Duff's safety. The only drone they thought they could trust was now possibly going to turn on them. The drones had almost no vulnerability. Abby's original plan was to attack Griffin emotionally, since he was one of the only ones who had access to human feelings, which, as Duff described, were the ultimate weakness. Pain was available not only in the body but also in the mind. If drones had no nerves and no sense of physical pain, mental pain was the plan. But Abby didn't know Griffin was the one good drone, and that changing his 'brain' and downloading new files to his system required such rare equipment. Abby was worried if they would ever get off this island. They had no one to trust but themselves and nothing to defend themselves. They were like two field mice in a house full of cats, and no holes in the walls or furniture to hide under. Essentially, they were doomed.

Duff carefully reattached the cubes of diamond together and surrounded the chip. He used a special substance that acted as like a 'diamond glue'. He welded Griffin's metal skull back, layered his fleshy material, and wrapped his bandages again. He put on the goggles and told Abby to turn his switch back on again. She did so, and Griffin jolted on the table like he was struck by lightning.

"It's…alive!" Duff imitated Dr. Frankenstein, and Abby gave him a 'look', as if to tell him how inappropriate he was being.

"Whut…eh never got eh chance te say tha'."

Griffin raised his torso off the table and felt around his head.

"How…did…the surgery…go?" he asked. Duff could her in his voice that his body was charging slowly.

"Err, good. Eh removed te antennae. Now, te sonic ray won' kill ye."

"Are you sure Griffin won't be able to hear it?" Abby asked. She worried for the both of them, now.

"Drones 'ave two types of 'ears'. One antennae picks up sounds an' signals tha' are too low or too high in frequency fer eh human te hear. Another antennae picks up frequencies only audible te us. So, eh drone can identify whut eh human can hear an' whut can't we hear, so tey know whether or nae te bring te noise te attention. Also, it's good te 'ave te extra antennae, tha' way if eh ever needed te remove te high an' low frequency antennae, which eh jus' did, te drone can still hear voices an' noises in range."

"Are you sure you removed the correct antennae?" Griffin asked.

Duff and Abby looked at him. Did Griffin not trust them? Was this a sign of corruption? Abby's heart beat faster. She had no clue if Duff took the right one out or not. She looked up at him. His expression was full of suspicion.

"Of course eh did." Duff replied, sternly. Griffin nodded his head.

"Good. Then let us begin building the rays."

Griffin got up off the table, stood up straight, and walked out of the room. Abby and Duff looked at each other simultaneously.

"You _did _cut the correct antennae…right?" Abby whispered.

"Of course eh did!" Duff whispered back.

"You said you hadn't looked into a drone's head since you first created them…how can you be sure that you remembered the right one?"

"Eh remember everythin'. Eh checked te blueprints before eh left te castle te refresh meh memory. He's already paranoid…eh don' need ye te be paranoid too!"

"Okay, fine." Abby looked at Duff for another minute, then mouthed the words, "I trust you."

Duff nodded his head, to say 'thank you'. His mouth curled into a smile a little.

"Let's go make tis weapon." He said. Duff left the room and Abby followed behind.

They met Griffin in the foyer. He started to lay out his equations and blueprints. His plan was to make three ray guns which they could use as weapons against any drone that tried to stop them in the communications room, and any of them would have an attached cable that could connect to the main database, and the signal would be amplified from every speaker on the island. The waves would go far enough to cover every inch of the island and even beyond the force field, as well as every floor of Base. Once they did that, every drone on the island except Griffin would be terminated; they could then leave and destroy everything left behind with the explosives on the arsenal floor in Base, which was down below near the surgical rooms and jail. That way, if there were any explosive accidents from the arsenal, the sick and the criminal would be injured only.

Duff and Griffin took hours to plan the rays. They were up for all the rest of the night and worked right through into the next morning. Griffin didn't need sleep, and no matter how many times Abby begged him to get some rest, he said sleep wasn't as important as getting the work done. Abby stayed up with him, and he insisted that _she _should get rest, but she claimed that it was important to her to watch over him and protect him. She also wanted to keep an eye on Griffin. Since they didn't know if he was becoming corrupted or not, Abby wanted to be near Duff at all times, just in case he suddenly attacked. When she thought about it, sleep wasn't a very safe option either. Though, throughout the night Abby had fallen asleep a couple of times on the chair she sat in for hours as she watched the man and drone work. When the morning came she went into the kitchen and cooked some pulcho. There was also some food that Griffin had ordered—some bread and what Abby assumed to be cheese, and more fruits. She brought some to the foyer and offered some to Duff. He took a mug and was grateful for Abby to have brought him something to munch on, because he was hungry.

The plans for the ray were almost finished. Griffin scanned the equation for the sonic disturbance and he confirmed that it would be a frequency high enough to fry every drone's chip. Griffin paused to contemplate that. He was silent for a while as Duff got up to find the supplies they needed to start building. Griffin started mumbling to himself.

"Every drone would be terminated but me. I was the first, and I will be the last. I will be the last of my kind. I will be alone. They want to destroy my race. Genocide…"

Abby quickly walked over to Duff. She was panicking. Griffin _was _going corrupted. He was turning on them. She looked back to see if he was following her, and she didn't see where she was running and bumped right into Duff.

"Oof!" he grabbed her around the torso to keep her from falling. "Why do we always end up bumpin' inte each other?" Duff instantly saw the fear on Abby's face. "Whuts wrong? Griffin?" he saw her glancing back.

"He's gone mad. He's accusing us of committing genocide and killing them all and…"

"Abby, calm down. Did he say tis te ye?"

"He was talking to himself."

"Alrigh', so he's startin' te transition but he's nae hostile yet. We need te finish t'ese rays an' get te the communications room before he starts te attack."

Abby couldn't help but start crying. She remembered when Duff left to go to the island in the first place, and how she feared for him. Duff looked sad as he watched her and wiped a tear from her eye.

"I miss the castle. I miss how warm it is. I miss being home with you, and Bessie." Abby mumbled.

"Eh miss Bess too. We'll be home soon." Duff hugged her. Abby held onto him tightly and didn't want to let go.

"What if we won't? What if Griffin or any of the other drones…"

"Don' say anythin' like tha'. It's nae happenin'. Ehm nae goin' te let _anythin' _happen te ye." Duff interrupted her.

"And I'd do anything to protect you."

"…eh love ye." Duff mumbled. He almost felt embarrassed to say it. He felt like a fool for falling for the woman who still had her heart set on another man. Regardless, Abby surprised him.

"I love you too." She whispered. Duff felt tears in his eyes too, now. He wanted to kiss her, passionately, and it hurt that he wasn't able to make those kinds of decisions anymore. Instead, Abby kissed him on the cheek. It felt good, but it wasn't satisfying. He wanted to taste her lips.

Duff thought either Abby was thinking the same thing, or he had a magic genie that granted his wish, because Abby moved her lips lower down his jaw and her mouth hovered over his. Their lips touched but they didn't kiss. Duff could tell she was scared. He wasn't going to push her. If she wanted to kiss him, and he could tell she did, she would be the one to do it.

Abby's breathing was slow and soft. She exhaled sweet breath onto him. She found it hard to relax her body. Every inch of her was ready for a hot, steamy kiss, but she didn't want to give in. She knew she would feel guilty later. Duff could feel how tense she was, but he thought it was for different reasons. He gently touched her and ran his hand up her arm and felt her soft skin. His fingertips just grazed her. The slow, gentle touch made Abby do anything but relax. She shivered and could feel chills go up her spine and through all her bones. She was unsure of how to flex her body and release the energy he was giving her with that small sensual touch. Her lips were still so close to his, Abby just released her vigor by giving Duff a light kiss. She had enough drive to kiss him passionately, but she still held herself back.

Duff still touched her gently and exhaled slowly, but Abby could hear his breath was jagged. She was still so full of drive and couldn't hold herself back. It was impossible to walk away. Though she wanted to, and she knew she could, she didn't want to and the pleasure she felt in her body took control. She gave in and gave Duff another light kiss, just barely touching his lips. Then she kissed him with a tiny bit more force and passion, and kissed him again, and again, and again. Duff put a hand to her face. He could feel the fear and shyness through her body and kiss. He could feel the angst that built up inside of her.

"Every part of my body wants you. I feel like I'm losing control, my heart wants you so much it can't stand it and is pumping fiery blood through my veins, but my head is telling me not to give in, that it's too soon…I feel the guilt screaming at me." Abby whispered.

"Eh dunno whut te say…" Duff mumbled. He pushed a lock of hair behind her ear. "Eh want ye too, meh body feels like it's been pumped wit pure desire, but eh don' want te hurt ye. It's yer choice but eh don' wan' ye te make te wrong choice either. Ye told me we couldn' act like tis anymore…"

"That was very hard…" Abby kissed him lightly again.

Duff sighed. "But maybe it's fer te best. Maybe it is too soon. Eh don' want te say tha', but when yer nae hurt an' confused anymore, ye'll know, an' ye won' be holdin' back like tis."

Abby's lips lingered over his. She didn't want to admit he was right. She didn't want to leave. Duff started to lose his control as well, and he grazed his lips over hers and gave her a light-as-air peck. Abby needed to release her hunger on him, even for just a second. She felt like a lioness that needed to pounce. Abby kissed him deeply, which surprised Duff. He inhaled, smelling her sweet honey-like breath, grabbed her hips and kissed her back passionately. Then Abby stopped, and pulled back to look at him. She didn't say anything, but everything was spoken by her eyes. Duff just wanted to experience as much pleasure as he could from her as possible. He knew she was still holding back, but her walls were starting to crumble.

Duff and Abby were cautious when they walked back into the foyer and saw Griffin staring at them. Duff set down the supplies for the rays on the table, and only Griffin's head moved, watching them cross the room. Duff stopped and sat across from him and tried to act like he wasn't suspicious of anything.

"So eh got te material. Let's start buildin'." He said.

"What took you so long?" Griffin asked.

"Eh wus lookin' fer all te things we needed te build te rays."

"It should not have taken such a long time. Did you come up with any other plans?"

"No, Griffin. Eh didn't think of anythin' else."

"Didn't plot anything _behind my back_?" Griffin's tone became more stressed and heightened. His voice didn't sound natural. He was starting to glitch. Griffin didn't realize what he was saying, but the corruption was starting to take over and turn him paranoid.

"No, Griffin. Eh didn' plot anythin' new besides our original plan. Everythin's te same. We're goin' te be healin' everyone. Te drones are sick. We're goin' te cure everyone of te disease."

"Then if you were not _plotting to kill me_, what were you doing all that time?"

"Abby an' eh were kissin', tha's whut took meh so long."

Griffin turned his head to Abigail. She blushed, and was surprised and also slightly embarrassed that Duff said that out loud to someone, even if it was a drone. Griffin was scanning Abigail to see if Duff was telling the truth. She was easy to read. He confirmed her shy body language as a result of sensual behavior. He seemed to relax, and was old Griffin again. He turned to Duff.

"Congratulations on the kiss. I am happy that things are starting to work out between you and Miss Abigail." He said.

"Thank ye." Duff mumbled. He glanced over at Abby, who was still blushing. He couldn't help but smirk.

For the next few hours, Griffin was acting normally, and he and Duff built the three rays. Abby helped as much as she could, though for the most part she couldn't follow any of the mechanics. She mainly kept an eye on Griffin, which Duff said was the biggest help she could give. While he was working, he could watch and see what Griffin was doing. He wouldn't know if the drone did something different to the rays or tampered with them somehow. It was crucial that these rays worked properly. Duff told Abby to see if Griffin tried to alter anything, like try to change the sonic disturbance into a frequency that would harm humans instead. Abby found it difficult to catch these things, because frankly, she didn't know what to look for. She had to read and learn the blueprints and walk around and act like an inspector that knew what she was doing. Duff figured he could check them all before they left for their mission, and if Griffin refused to show inside his ray, then they knew something was up.

It was another sleepless night. Duff worked endlessly on finishing the three rays, and Abby stayed up to supervise the corruption. By the morning they were so tired they could barely keep their eyes open. Duff was afraid this was what Griffin wanted all along. Griffin insisted they slept, and by nightfall they would get up, have enough energy for the mission, and attack communications. He constantly told them to sleep, but Duff refused. He knew they would be vulnerable in their sleep. Griffin could tamper with the rays while they weren't conscious, or if he wanted, he could kill them. But, at the same time, Duff had no energy for the mission. If he went to communications now, he wouldn't be alert enough to defend himself and attack the drones. He would easily die, and so would Abby. Their best bet _was _to sleep. So, Duff planned to take the rays and hide them while they were sleeping so Griffin couldn't find and tamper with them. He also planned with Abby that they would sleep together, and they would take turns sleeping, and the other pretending to sleep but really keeping guard. Duff offered that Abby slept first. He was used to staying up far later than two days, which Abby didn't like to hear.

They took the ray guns when Griffin went into another room, and hid them under the bed. When Griffin got back, he looked at the table missing three guns and in panic he asked Duff what he did with them.

"Eh hid them, jus' in case anyone besides us came inte the foyer, like eh messenger wit food, er information er news fer ye, tey wouldn' see te guns an' be suspicious."

"How could this messenger possibly know what the rays were for? We are making three of them, he would think they are for me, Ace and Four."

The thought occurred to Duff. Was Griffin trying to alter the guns into destroying humans or hybrids? And he planned to give them to the other Triad members?

"So where did you hide the ray guns?" Griffin asked.

"Under Abby's bed. We'll be sleepin' in te room an' we'll make sure no one gets 'em."

"I see."

Duff didn't want for Griffin's response. He turned his back and walked through the halls and found the bedroom.

Earlier, Duff had noticed that both Kim and Ron were sleeping together, too. For the past two days Kim had been tending to Ron and helping him heal. Duff practically forgot about them. Would they be a part of the attack? How would they escape? When Duff asked Griffin, he said they would stay in the loft during the attack, and then once all the drones were taken care of, they would come back for them. Griffin said he didn't know if he could 'trust' them. To the question if he was able to trust Duff and Abby, the drone simply replied with a nod.

Abby was already in bed. Duff crawled in with her. "Go te sleep." He ordered. "Eh'll keep watch. Eh'll wake ye up in eh few hours so we can switch. But if ye feel yerself fallin' asleep, wake meh up an' eh'll cover ehgain."

Abby wanted to argue with him, but she was in fact extremely tired, so she obeyed him and fell right asleep in his arms.

Duff did everything in his power to stay up and keep watch. He was used to staying up for several nights without sleep, working on projects of his. Usually, though, he would have coffee with him. Griffin didn't order any coffee to be brought up to the room. Duff thought it was possible that the drone did this on purpose. Maybe he _wanted _Duff to get so tired that he would fall asleep, and so he could tamper with the rays. It was all part of Griffin's plan…he worked with Duff for two sleepless nights and supplied no coffee…he wanted to wait until he slept deeply for hours, which would give him enough time to turn the drone-terminating rays into human-killing ones.

'Yer jus' bein' paranoid.' Duff thought. But the more he thought, the more he couldn't convince himself that it was just a theory. Griffin was turning. He would soon be fully corrupted. He wanted to kill him, and Abby, and possibly all the hybrids.

All the thinking made him even more tired. Only an hour passed by and his eyelids were drooping. He couldn't help it. Duff had to pinch himself…it didn't help. He slapped his cheeks, and it didn't help. He considered cutting himself, but he knew that wouldn't help either, plus Abby would be upset.

There was no loud music to listen to, and he didn't want to leave Abby alone, vulnerable, to splash some cold water on his face. He knew he was going to fall asleep soon. Everyone else in the room was sound asleep but him. Kim and Ron were cuddled together, and he could tell Ron was quickly healing. Abby felt warm as he held her. He enjoyed watching her as she slept. She looked so peaceful and innocent. He didn't want to wake her. He would try to stay up the entire night if he could, so she could be left at peace. But watching her sleep only made him even more tired. He shook his head but it was nearly impossible to stay awake no matter what he did. He looked at Abby again. She clung to his body and he hoped she was dreaming of him. He wanted to kiss her in her sleep. He _did _know of one thing that would keep him awake, but he knew that would only be a fantasy. Duff knew that if Abby stayed up with him and just kept him company, he wouldn't be so sleepy. He checked his watch…another half hour had passed. He promised Abby he would keep guard four hours, then they could switch, and by the end of her four hour watch, it would be morning, and they would have to get up and face the drones. He was afraid for himself, and for Abby. He wanted nothing more than to be back home with her and live in peace again. Why did he disobey Abby when she told him not to go to the island in the first place? Why didn't he listen to her, and believe that he had a responsibility to these drones? Why couldn't he let Kim handle it herself? She always said she could do anything, right? Duff knew in the back of his mind that Kim would have died here without help. But he disappointed Abby and his daughter by risking his life. It was his fault Abby followed him, and her life was at risk too, now. He would do anything to protect her. He would give up his life to let her live. She was worth living much more than he was. Duff knew Bessie would miss him, but he knew Abby would be a better parent than he ever was.

That was the last thought Duff could remember before he woke up in the morning. When he opened his eyes, he felt peaceful after sleeping for a few hours and having his arms wrapped around Abby's wonderful body.

But Duff felt really good after just a four hour sleep. She should have been much more tired. In fact, he shouldn't have woken up in the first place. Abby should have woken him up after she kept guard four hours, but she was sound asleep beside him.

Duff's eyes widened and he shot up out of bed. He looked under the mattress…the ray guns were still there. He inspected them as Abby started to wake. She sat upright and looked at him with weary eyes.

"What are you doing? Did Griffin…" after a few moments, Abby's eyes also widened in horror as the thought dawned upon her. It was morning.

"Eh fell asleep." Duff admitted. "Eh tried te stay awake…eh dunno how it happened, eh don' remember lyin' down er nuthin' like tha'…"

"Oh my…do you think Griffin drugged you to make you sleep?" Abby immediately got up and began to get dressed.

"No…eh did this on meh own. Eh wus jus' so tired…eh thought eh could stay up but…_argh_ eh should 'ave splashed mehself wit cold water…_some_tin!"

"Hey…don't fret. It's not your fault." Abby tried to look into his eyes and hold him, but he looked away. He was ashamed of himself. He made a mistake that might cost them their lives, now.

"_Aye, _it is! Eh dunno now if Griffin took te rays durin' te middle o' te night, changed te wirin' or replaced tem wit replicas…"

"Is there a way to check?" Abby asked.

"Nae without aimin' it at either a human or eh drone an' seein' which one dies!"

"Then try it on Griffin."

"Are ye insane? Soon as eh point tis thing in his direction he'll snap right there! Tha's whut we've been tryin' te avoid!"

"Well what are we going to do? Griffin is expecting us to walk out of the bedroom ready to attack a whole team of drones and we don't even know if these rays work! We have to test it."

"An' how dye plan on doin' tha'?" Duff asked.

Abby didn't answer him. She turned from Duff and slammed the bedroom doors open. Griffin was standing patiently a few feet outside. When Griffin saw Abby so fiery, it caught him off guard. Duff was usually the one who acted like this. Abby stopped so close to the drone, he leaned back a little, unexpected of what she would do. She looked as if she was going to attack him. Duff ran behind her, unsure and amazed at the passion she had so randomly.

"Griffin," she said. "We haven't tested the rays yet to see their effect. We don't want to go into the communications room without checking our weapons. Bring another drone up here…a messenger. Order some food to be brought up and invite the drone inside. We will experiment the ray guns first before leaving."

"But…all the calculations are in order, the rays will work perfectly fine. I scanned them and—"

"Well I don't have a scanner. I have eyes. And _these _eyes need to know that we have protection. I'm not going on this mission risking my life without knowing that these work." She showed him the ray, but she was careful as not to point it at him.

Griffin looked over to Duff. He came up behind Abby and looked strangely amazed. "Abby…whuts gotten inte ye?" he mumbled. "But…uh…she's right. We never tested 'em. Eh too would like te see how tey work."

"But you _know _my work can be trusted. We did everything correctly. The designs were flawless. I know how to build a mechanical object, I am one myself." He glared at Duff through his thick cherry red goggles. He was nearly pressuring Duff to defend his verification and calm Abby down, but Duff knew Abby's idea was a good one, for both of their safety.

"Eh do trust ye, Griffin. Eh know tha' wit yer help we built somethin' strong tha' can protect all of us. Eh'd jus' like te see how te ray operates an' whut te expect. Eh want some practice first, aye?"

"And what of you, Abigail?" Griffin turned his head to her again. "Do you trust me?"

"Oh, sure." Abby smiled. "But I'm just not used to using any kind of weapon…like Duff said, I need practice. You don't send a boy to war without teaching him how to shoot first, am I right? Unlike drones, who are designed to be so perfect, we humans need to learn first."

Griffin hesitated, then after a few moments of experiencing death stares by Abby, he replied lowly, "I will go and retrieve a drone for your…experiment."

He turned and got on the elevator, and descended until they could not see him no more.

"Whuts gotten inte ye?" Duff asked.

"You act surprised, like I haven't been so enthusiastic before."

"But threatenin' Griffin like tha'? Yer really testin dangerous waters, 'ere!"

"I didn't threaten him. I just said I wanted to make sure we were safe."

"Aye, but ye doubted him. An' tha' is threatenin' te him. It says ye don' trust 'em. Yer onte 'em. How do we know he won' come back wit te Triad te kill us?"

"If he wanted to kill us he would have already…right?"

"Well he's still in transition eh think. He hasn't snapped yet. An' we don' want te push 'em!"

"So you were just going to attack a room full of indestructible drones with a weapon that possibly didn't work? A weapon that any drone could easily grab out of your hand, point it at you and kill you right on the spot? I'm sick and tired of this game we have to play to hide ourselves or be careful so as not to get attacked. I want to go _fucking _home, I want to see Bessie, and I don't want to see another drone _again_. So I don't give a fuck what drone tries to get in my way, ray gun or not, I'm going to fight."

"Abby, listen te me…" Duff tried to calm her down. He placed his hands on her shoulders and spoke softly. "If these rays don't work, there is no fight. They are _strong_. They will rip your head off or crack your spine like it's a piece of straw. You will get killed…"

"There you go again accusing me of being weak. What makes you so tough? Do you think you have a chance against these drones and I don't?"

"Ehm nae sayin' yer weak, Abby! But anyone who can fight, even Kim…she knows how many styles of martial arts…unless yer Superman ye don' stand eh chance against 'em!"

"And what, you do?" Abby snapped.

"Well…te last time eh wus 'ere…somethin' 'appened, an' eh've been meanin' te tell ye but eh don' want ye te get upset or freak out er…"

Duff was interrupted by the ding of the elevator. They turned their heads simultaneously to see Griffin and another drone step out. It was a worker from the prison station down below Base. When the drone saw the two humans, he immediately ran as if to attack and capture them. Abby gasped at the sudden move, but Duff was fast enough to grab the ray gun that lay on the table next to them, point it at the drone and pull the trigger. An invisible beam shot out of the tip and washed over the drone's body. Duff and Abby could hear the sound of the wave faintly, but it didn't harm their ears. The drone's eyes grew wide and he stood straight like a marionette with all its strings pulled upright. He stood like that for a few moments, and then he fell just like a tin can knocked over.

Griffin stood out of the way, as if he was afraid of the ray beam striking him. He still believed Duff didn't do his surgery right, and he was at risk from the gun. Once the other drone died on the floor of his loft, he looked up and snapped at Abby. He was angry that they killed a comrade of his. Though he didn't know the drone personally, it was one of his kind.

"Is that enough proof for your eyes?"

Abby looked at the drone lying on the floor. Was the drone acting? For all they knew, he could have been. She looked back up at Griffin and nod her head, but she wasn't truly convinced. She didn't trust this drone. She felt ruthless.

"Are we ready now for the attack?" Duff asked.

"We're as ready as we'll ever be. Let's just go and get this over with." Abby grabbed one of the ray guns and headed for the elevator. Duff grabbed the third gun and tossed it to Griffin. Together they got in, and Griffin hit the button for just six doors down.

"So what's the plan? When the doors open, do we just start blasting?" Abby asked.

"Eh guess so. There will only be eh number of drones on te floor, out in te open. Griffin…ye destroy te elevator so no more drones can come through. Eh'll head fer te main station an' plug te ray in te satellite transmitter an' beam te signal across te island.

Before Duff had a chance to say another word, the elevator stopped and the doors opened. The drones didn't pay attention at first when they walked in the room, but then Griffin threw a small bomb in the elevator just before it closed, and just a few seconds after it started to descend to another floor, everyone heard a loud _boom_ and the floor rumbled. Flames ascended the elevator shaft and nearly burned Duff and Abby. They turned their backs to the fire and got their ray guns out. Griffin did the same, and the three of them started to fire at the drones nearest to them.

They just had to pull the trigger once and in the next couple seconds the drone aimed at was terminated. If another drone was nearby or in close range, the wave hit them too, and either damaged or killed them as well. The three stuck together and had to be quick for all the drones were running to attack them now like starving, fast, indestructible zombies.

"Eh'm gonna head fer te main system. Cover meh!" Duff shouted. He advanced ahead and Abby tried her best to blast all the drones that ran towards her and Duff. She stuck close behind him.

"I feel like I'm in a video game…" Abby mumbled. She was a little nervous, because even though she was surviving well, she was in danger. If she wasn't quick enough to blast her ray gun, she would be killed instantly. Almost half the drones in the room lay on the floor, and they had to step or jump over them. The rest of the drones were either attacking them or calling code reds and ordering for help.

Duff had almost made it. He headed towards a large computer. The screen stretched several feet and on the screen showed graphs and data. There were several large keyboards for different drones to perform separate tasks all on the same screen.

Abby stepped over a drone and felt a metal hand grab her. She looked down and screamed—a drone had 'played dead', and was crushing the bones in her ankle.

Duff turned around and ran to her side, blasting other drones that ran towards him. Abby pointed the ray gun to the drone's face and blasted the wave. It stunned him and he let go of her ankle by the time Duff reached her. Abby winced and Duff caught her.

"Are ye alrigh'?" Duff panicked. Now that Abby was hurt, it damaged their chances.

"I'm fine. Go! Get to the system and plug the ray in before a swarm of drones come in!"

Duff hesitated. Was she really okay or was she lying? He didn't want to leave her side, so he took her hand and helped her walk with him. Abby had to limp and she moaned from the pain, but she still had enough energy to be alert and blast all the drones that tried to stop them.

Some of the drones now were hiding and trying to dodge the blast of the ray guns. They were not prepared for this attack. The drones were always taught that they had no weaknesses. They didn't know how to defend themselves, but most of them tried to win by speed, and get to Duff or Abby or sneak up behind them before they had the chance to pull the trigger, but the two had each other's backs, and looked out for each other.

Abby looked around for Griffin. He was on the far side of the room, attacking a crowd of drones with not only the ray gun but his strength. He fought them physically and though they were made of the same indestructible material, Griffin was stronger and more educated and experienced in combat. He didn't seem to be corrupted. Abby sighed in relief. He was being loyal to Duff. He wasn't holding back by siding or sympathizing with the drones. He was kicking serious metal butt with no regrets.

Duff and Abby reached the computer. Abby saw a drone trying to signal for help…she pointed the ray at him and fried his chip. The call left unanswered, and she worried that they wouldn't connect to the system in time. Abby looked around the room and saw plenty of open windows; though the elevator was broken, she knew the drones would have their way of getting inside. With the technology they possessed, they would have no problem getting up the building from the outside.

"Eh got it." Duff said as he connected all the wires in place. Abby and Griffin finished off the remaining drones in the room.

"That was actually easier than I thought…" Abby mumbled.

"It's nae o'er yet. Te wave will take some time te reach te entire island an' fry all te drones. There are receivers all over te island, te system will connect te ray te every single one. There are enough in Base te wipe everyone out instantly." The keyboard had symbols on it instead of letters, but Duff knew exactly what he was doing. He typed in several codes and hit the keys so fast Abby couldn't keep up. She was worried about another attack.

"Hey…are ye sure yer alrigh'?" Duff asked as he typed. When Abby didn't answer him, he turned around and saw her staring at Griffin.

The remaining drone was simply standing in the back of the room ominously. He looked down at all the dead drones surrounding him.

"Uhh…Duff?" Abby mumbled in fear. Duff knew something was about to happen. Something was starting to change in Griffin. The drone looked up at them, and he started to walk forward.

Duff tried to type as fast as he could, but he kept looking back at Griffin walking towards them. He could feel like something was wrong, but he wasn't sure. He was afraid for himself and also for Abby.

"What do we do?" she whispered.

Duff looked up at the screen. The downloading process had begun. "Wait fer te wave te reach eh hundred percent, then press tis button." He showed Abby a large green square key. She looked at him advance towards Griffin.

"What are you doing?" she whispered ecstatically. She knew something wasn't right with the drone. She tried to say 'be careful', but for some reason the words couldn't come out. She didn't know what to say. Was Griffin truly corrupted or was everything a big mistake and they were just paranoid?

"Griffin, good work." Duff stated as he approached the large drone. "We jus' 'ave te…" he trailed off when he looked down at the ray gun in Griffin's hands. It was completely crushed. Duff could see the grooves of fingers in the bent metal. Griffin threw the weapon to the ground.

"Whut did ye…" Duff trailed off again as Griffin pulled his coat back, revealing a similar looking ray gun. He took it by the handle, pulled it out, and aimed it right for Duff's head.

Duff turned, grabbed Abby, and pulled her away from the computer. She screamed as they fell over, and the wave from Griffin's weapon nearly missed their skulls.

"What is that!?" Abby screeched from the pain in her ankle. Duff lifted her up and Griffin turned to them again.

"You killed my people. I will not let you destroy my home and my family. You think you can fry our chips and be rid of us…how would you feel if someone melted _your _brain?" he raised the gun again, but Duff was quicker. He launched himself at the drone and knocked the gun out of his hands. It slid across the smooth metal floors. Abby ran as best as she could towards where the weapon landed and ignored the pain in her ankle.

Griffin attacked Duff. Abby saw them fighting, but knew their rays wouldn't work on Griffin. She also saw that strangely, Duff was fighting the drone very well. He seemed to be just as strong. Griffin threw a punch but Duff blocked it. Duff threw some kicks and hit Griffin's side, which made him stumble backward. Griffin then caught Duff around the neck, choking him. Abby gasped.

"Duff!" she cried out. She forgot all about Griffin's weapon and ran towards them. Duff grasped Griffin's arms, trying to pull him off. As she was running, Abby found a long metal bar from the debris of the elevator. She picked it up, and when she got close enough, she swung it right at Griffin's face. She heard a loud 'clang' and the bar just retracted. She stuck it into his side but it didn't go past his skin. Abby was panicking. She didn't know what to do. Duff was being choked and Griffin was indestructible.

Then, Abby remembered her original plan. Though Griffin was physically indestructible, she was able to toy with his mind. She had an idea. Abby grabbed the ray gun from the holster Duff gave her, and pointed it at Griffin's head.

When the drone saw what she was doing, he laughed. "That won't work on me."

"Are you sure about that?" Abby shouted. Griffin took a moment to think, and in reaction his grip on Duff's throat loosened up. Abby noticed this and continued.

"How do you know that we really took out the right antennae? Maybe…_just maybe_…Duff snipped the wrong one on accident? Or maybe it was no accident."

Griffin wanted to snap Duff's neck right then and there for betraying him, after he promised he would keep him safe from the sonic disturbance.

"You kill Duff and your life will end as well." Abby had a dead-serious expression on her face. She wasn't going to hold back. "Let your creator go!"

"What would it matter if we were both dead….you would be stuck here, you would never get off this island alive. The rest of the drones will be here before your sonic wave downloads completely."

"As you always detected, Griffin, I have some secrets and advantages. I'm not as _weak_ as I seem, and I'm certainly not hesitant on taking your worthless drone life. Now _let…Duff…go_! You have no other option. Your brain-scrambling weapon is at the other side of the room. Let Duff go and maybe we can work something out. You said this island is your home, and the drones are your family. Well Duff created you back when he lived in his castle, on _his _own island in Scotland. _That _can be your home, and _we _can be your family…heck, we're already your family!"

"How do I know that you won't kill me as soon as I let Duff walk away?"

"You don't. I know you don't trust me, and I don't trust you either. But like I said…you don't really have a choice right now."

Griffin loosened his grip on Duff, enough for him to squeeze out of the drone's headlock. Duff stumbled forward and coughed, holding his neck. Abby's eyes never left Griffin, and she stood like a statue ready to explode. Griffin just had to make one move, and he was dead.

"So it seems as if we are at a standstill." Griffin stated. Duff walked over to where Griffin's weapon was, and grabbed it. He walked back to them and glanced at the screen: it read fifty-seven percent.

"Looks like yer goin' te be at eh standstill fer eh bit longer."

"No…not for long." Griffin said.

Before they could ask him what he meant, drones started to come in through the windows. They were riding on large hovercrafts that carried them up the outside walls of Base. Abby turned and started firing. Griffin turned to attack Duff again. He held both Griffin's gun and the drone gun. Though he knew Abby's speech was only playing off of Griffin's paranoia, Duff subconsciously fired the drone gun at Griffin. It didn't do anything. Griffin pulled Duff to the ground, and both weapons scattered next to their wrestling bodies. Griffin used combat against Duff. They scratched and tore at each other while Abby fired continuously at the windows.

Several times Griffin tried reaching for his human weapon, the one which fell to Duff's right. Duff realized that was the gun he shot at Griffin…he realized that he shot the wrong one. It was hard to tell the difference between the two weapons, but Griffin clearly knew which one was his.

Abby was ruthless and sent endless waves towards all the windows, which were in a row all next to each other. The drones that got off the hovercraft didn't get too far inside, and they fell helpless to the floor. Abby shot at the drones outside and hovering in front of the windows until the hovercrafts were empty. She saw them descend. She looked out the window and down at the ground far below. An army of drones stocked with the same weapon that Griffin held stood ready for ascension. Griffin must have leaked his plans for the human ray when he went to get their 'experimental drone'. They created and mass produced the weapon quickly. Everything must have been a plan. When the drones saw her looking down at them, one of them pointed a ray and blasted the wave at her. Abby gasped and pulled away from the window and backed up as far as possible. This was bad…very bad.

She looked over to Duff and Griffin. Griffin had tears in his clothing and some of his bandages were ripped. His goggles were thrown off and his hat was nowhere to be seen. Duff's clothes were ripped as well…and Abby could easily see patches of blood on his arms, neck and face. Griffin and Duff were tearing at each other. But how was Duff so strong? How was he able to fight this long with his number one drone? Abby glanced at the screen…it read eighty-nine percent. When she glanced back at Duff, she saw something strange, something that caught her eye. The light from the windows shined in the room and light reflected off of Duff's body. Blood poured from Duff's wounds where Griffin tried to scratch him open, but she could see a shine in his wounds…a silver shine….like metal. She walked closer. There _was _metal inside his wounds. Was it from Griffin? Or was it possible…

Abby gasped. "You're a hybrid?!" she shouted. Duff groaned as he fought the drone. He was afraid of her finding out. But now, it didn't really matter. Drones ascended in the hovercrafts and started pouring in again. Abby turned and saw them…it was too many for her to take on. She ran towards Duff and Griffin. She grabbed both weapons that lay on the floor and put them in her holster. She pointed her drone-ray at Griffin's head.

Griffin stopped fighting. The paranoia came back again. All the drones before them stopped. They worshiped Griffin…he was their leader. And now, Abby was holding a deadly weapon to their leader's head.

Griffin lifted himself up and put his hands up like he surrendered. Duff wiggled out of his lock again. He was tired of getting nowhere trying to wrestle his strongest drone. The screen read ninety-five percent. He walked over to the computer and guarded it. Just another minute was all they needed.

Everyone watched Abby and Griffin intensely. Duff didn't want Abby to get hurt, but if he walked forward, Griffin might do something stupid. The drones that filled the room couldn't let this woman kill their leader. If they moved, it wouldn't certainly risk Abby's patience. Then, everything happened so quickly.

Griffin grabbed Abby's wrist hard enough for her to drop her weapon. She cried out in pain as he crushed her bones. Duff tried to force Griffin to let her go, but before he could stop him, Griffin picked Abby up and threw her across the room. She slid on the floor and tumbled, landing right in front of the drones. She screamed as they picked her up. She tried getting away, but their grip was too tight.

"_Abbyyy!" _Duff yelled. _"Put her down, put her FUCKING down, eh tell ye!" _He screamed at Griffin and the other drones. "_Listen te meh, ehm yer FUCKIN' CREATOR, AN' EHM ORDERIN' YE TE PUT HER DOWN!" _Duff grabbed the weapon that Abby dropped and pointed it to the army of drones.

"Throw her out!" Griffin yelled. Duff fired the weapon at all the drones, but it did no good. Drones at the front of the crowd blocked the two that dragged Abby towards the window. Duff launched towards the crowd, but Griffin held him back. The drones that held Abby hoisted her up and she screamed Duff's name as they threw her body out the window.

"_NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! ABBYYY!" _Duff yelled louder than he ever had in his entire life. His entire body heated with a fire brighter and stronger than that of the sun. He looked at the screen…the ninety-nine percent turned to one hundred and he hit the green button.

Duff ran as fast as he could. The frequency wasn't high enough to hurt him, but the pitch was so loud, Duff had to cover his ears. He ran right past Griffin and all the drones that fell to the floor and helplessly cringed and twitched. The mass fell like a string of dominoes, and he didn't look back. Duff stuck his head out of the window and saw nothing but a mass of bodies scattered on the ground. None of them were Abby's body. He scanned and scanned the ant-sized bodies and saw no blonde haired beauty. Did the drones throw her too far? Maybe she was okay…maybe she landed in a tree. He tried to peer into the forest, on top of all the tries, on the ground at the edge, but he saw nothing.

Duff was filled with something he couldn't identify. It wasn't rage…it was more than that. He felt like his body was literally on fire, and that he should run in a rampage, destroying everything in his path. He watched as all the drones before him were lying on the floor. They weren't moving anymore. It made him smile. The smile stretched across his face and he laughed hysterically. He looked over to Griffin…he was kneeling down, covering his ears. Duff walked up to him.

"Oh…eh guess eh really _didn' _cut te right antennae, after all." Duff said. Griffin moaned and growled as if he could feel the physical pain of his 'brain' being fried to a crisp. Duff laughed again. No…he didn't feel angry. He felt insane.

"Eh've lost so much in meh life, Griffin. Eh lost meh dignity when meh Pa an' meh brer used te beat meh when eh wus younger. Eh lost te love of meh gran' an' meh Ma an' meh dear sister…eh lost meh hope fer love when eh wus left alone by two…tha's right…_two _women who eh cared about. Eh lost meh patience fer tis world when they took meh girl away. An' ye know….eh thought eh'd be angry at te world forever, lost in meh pain, but then eh met Abby. An' ye know whut, Griffin?" Duff grabbed him by the collar of his coat and looked at him in the eye. "Eh thought, fer once in meh life, eh had te chance te beh happy. No…eh _wus _happy wit her in meh life. An' ye jus' FUCKING TOOK THA' FROM MEH!"

Duff let him go and watched him suffer. Griffin was trying to withstand his inevitable death. He growled at Duff. He wanted to grab him, bring him down with him, kill him like how he killed Abby, but the wave was too strong and stunned him too much. Griffin couldn't control the rest of his body. His chip started to fry. The connection from his 'brain' to his body was damaged. He could barely move anymore. Duff grabbed him again, pulled him so he was just inches from his face.

"Eh don' 'ave anything te lose anymore. Ye should be very…_very _grateful tha' eh didn' program ye te feel pain righ' now."

Griffin twitched, but his head leaned away, and he stopped moving. Duff thought that meant he was dead, but then Griffin spoke his last words.

"What an extraordinary creature." He stated. The way his head turned suggested that he was looking at something. Duff turned around and released his grip on Griffin again. The drone fell to the floor and Duff nearly fell with him.

He gazed at Abby. She was unharmed except for a ripped shirt, glowing and radiating more beauty than she ever has, and suspended in the air by two giant feathery white wings.


	26. Angel, part 9

**Angel, part 9 **

_Note: I don't mean to offend anyone's religious beliefs with this chapter. I enjoyed creating the concept of Abby's world, and whatever I say about other mentioned religions was written purely for fictional purposes. _

_Also, I lied when I said this would be the final chapter. It's gotten too long, so I split it into chapters 9 and 10. _

Abby slowly walked up to Duff. She was careful as not to scare him, because he acted like a frightened little mouse about to run away. Her wings drew in, comfortably rested against her back and melted into her skin disguised as ink.

"Duff…" she spoke softly, calmly.

"Whut…te hell…are ye?" Duff mumbled. He had fear in his eyes and backed away the closer Abby got.

"Duff…"

"Eh said, whut te _hell _are ye?! Eh mutant?" Duff spat at that last word. He was disgusted. Of all the secrets to keep, mutation was _not _something he expected. "Eh've heard of tis bird-obsessed villain…are ye his freak experiment? Did DNAmy merge ye wit eh dove? Eh swan?" Duff expected that since she was keeping something from him, she wasn't perfect. "Eh always figured ye did sometin' wrong or it wus sometin' from yer past or…_och _eh never expected ye'd 'ave fuckin' wings!"

"I'm _not _a mutant." Abby shouted. She was offended by how disgusted Duff sounded.

"Then whut? An angel?" Duff joked, but when he saw Abby's expression, he had to laugh.

"_Ha_…an angel?" Duff laughed hysterically.

"I prefer the term guardian." Abby said lowly, yet sternly. Duff only laughed harder.

"Oh, eh mus' really be goin' insane now. Tha's it…yer nae really 'ere. Yer dead, an' ehm hallucinatin'. Or maybe ye really did grow wings an' now yer sayin' yer goodbyes before ye move on te the next world. No…maybe _ehm _dead, an' eh've gone te heaven! Hallelujah!" Duff continued to laugh. He seriously thought he had gone insane. That's what it felt like.

"Don't make fun of me."

Duff didn't seem to hear her. He just couldn't stop laughing. He felt like he lost control of his mind and was losing his hold on reality, and he was floating up into a void where he would be lost forever. Abby brought him down to Earth with a strong slap across his face.

Duff held his cheek and looked at her. Her cold expression showed him that she was offended and upset. She was serious. This _was _reality.

"Eh guardian angel? Eh fuckin' _guardian angel_!? Well whut are ye doin' 'ere? Shouldn' ye be upstairs hangin' out wit God an te rest of te crew?"

"I am here to _save _your ass. I've been doing it ever since I came to you last year. I never worked for you! I was sent to you, to protect Bessie and yourself from the stupid things you let yourself do. I was sent to help you be a good man, but sometimes that's as impossible as turning a demon into an angel! And I would know about that!" Abby spat at him, angry at his disrespectful and ungrateful manner. "And there is no god. Everything people are taught and preached to were nothing but stories that turned into strong beliefs. I can tell you the truth of the other worlds…but first you need to learn to believe in what's standing right in front of you! What am I to you now? A creature? A strange being?" Abby's wings flared up again as her emotions raged. Duff gazed at them.

"Eh don' know whut te think. It's nae every day te girl ye love says she's eh supernatural bein'!" Duff yelled back. "Gimme some fuckin' credit!"

Abby's wings came down when Duff said the word 'love'. It made Abby happy to hear that he still considered her that way.

"I'm still the same woman you knew before. I don't have any powers,"

"Except fer te power of flight…"

Abby looked down. "That…and a superior knowledge of spirituality. Nothing more. It makes me different, yes, but I'm still the same person. My body is human. Duff…I want to explain everything to you, I want to tell you so much. Please…let's get off this island. Let's go home."

"Aye…eh would like te go home te _my _castle." He put the emphasis on 'my' on purpose. He hurt Abby by saying that, successfully. "But eh need te get Kim an' Ron, an' bomb te rest o' te island." Duff turned from her and spoke in a morbid tone. Essentially, he was trying to block out everything he just saw. It was all too much for him, especially after he just killed off all of his prized creations, including a friend he couldn't save.

"I can help…" Abby offered.

"Tha's okay."

"No, really…I can spread the bombs over the island a lot quicker…"

"Eh said no…Abby, eh," Duff sighed. It took him a few minutes to figure out what to say. "Please, jus'…go back te the castle. Eh need…time…te think abou'…" he couldn't even finish his sentence. He felt strange and embarrassed.

"I understand. But…I can sense when you're in danger, so if I feel that, I'm going to come back."

"Mmm." Duff kept his back to her. He couldn't look at her.

"And…just so you know…the people I asked to watch over Bessie were guardians too. I…told her a couple days after you left for the island."

"How…did she take it?" Duff turned his head a little, interested that his daughter knows about Abby's secret too.

"She was…happy, I guess." Abby said, smiling. "She told me…_'Abby, eh always knew ye were our guardian angel, but eh didn' take it literally!'_" Abby imitated Bessie's sweet Scottish accent. It made Duff smile. It sounded like his daughter. He missed her.

Abby laughed a little, remembering the moment. "Yeah, well…take the time you need." Her voice changed to sadness again. She kept telling Duff she was afraid he wouldn't feel the same about her. He insisted that he wouldn't but she was right. She knew he would act this way, and she was afraid he would never treat her the same again. "I'll be at the castle when you get back…but please don't stay too long. Bessie needs you back in her life." Abby turned from him and started to walk away, towards the window. Duff heard her mumble to herself. "…and so do I."

Duff turned around to apologize, but she was already gone.

Over the next couple of days, Duff and Kim flew around the island in the drone hovercrafts. They took dozens of the strongest bombs from the arsenal in Base. They dropped the metal balls all over every region of the island…Base, Paranologia, the desert, the forests, the mountains, and the beaches. Duff took down the energy shield by shutting down the mainframe system in Base and cutting off all power. At the ports, Duff and Kim helped Ron settle in a large submarine, which they would use to travel home once they finished setting all the bombs. They also scanned the land to check for any surviving drones…there were none. Only the hybrids remained, and Duff rescued them and brought them to the submarine to be brought home from where they were taken. Kim offered to stay with the hybrids and talk to them while Duff booby-trapping the land. All the bombs were connected to one controller, and they would set them off once they've left the island and set course for home. When Duff got back after the end of the fourth day, Kim expressed the sadness she felt from all the stories she heard. The hybrids were kidnapped from their families all around the world, brought to this island and forced to live there after undergoing torturous surgery that still haunted and pained them to the present day.

Duff personally apologized to the hybrids. He was the one who created the drones many years ago, but he never thought they would become so ruthless. Half of the hybrids hated him for what he did, and the other half forgave him.

Duff sealed off all the exits in the submarine once everyone was packed inside with enough food and water for their journey. He started up the engines…the boat was powered by special, advanced drone technology. The boat was operated by automated power and solar energy, so the passengers didn't have to work. Duff typed in the coordinates of all the stops they had to make to bring everyone home, and the computers chose the best route possible. Kim sat down with Duff as he set the final controls.

"Thank you." She said. Duff looked over at her. Her expression was gentle and sincere.

"Fer whut?" Duff grunted. He always felt embarrassed when someone thanked or complimented him.

"For saving Ron. For helping me."

"But eh couldn't save 'em."

"He's alive. That's what matters most. He is in pain, and it will take time for the both of us to recover from this mission, but we'll get through it."

"Yer welcome te stay ah te castle fer however long ye like. Eh have special medicines in meh lab tha' he may find helpful."

"Thank you, I think we'll visit to stock up on that, but I don't think my presence brings a lot of happiness to your family. Which reminds me…why isn't Abby here? You said you sent her back to the castle. Is everything okay between you two?"

"Nae exactly."

"What happened?"

"Let's jus' say eh learned somethin' abou' her an' eh don' know how te take it."

Kim paused for a minute to take that in, but mostly to wait if Duff said anything else. He didn't.

"Do you want advice?" she asked.

Duff looked over at her. He didn't want to say yes, but it was obvious that he was desperate for it.

"If it's something terrible that she's done, think back to how you used to be. Everyone makes mistakes in their life. For so many different reasons, too. You just have to figure out if the reason justifies her actions, or if you can live the rest of your life comfortably knowing the truth."

Duff waved her off. "Nae, its' nuthin' like tha'. She didn't _do _anythin'. She's jus…she didn' tell meh…._ugh._" Duff rubbed his head. How could he even phrase this? "It's nae somethin' she _did_, it's somethin' she…_is_."

"Is, as in a football fan or _is_ as in…"

"_Is _as in somethin'…different."

Kim paused, trying to think. "Different as in…quirky different? Or different as in…Lowardian different?"

"Say whut?" Duff gave her a questioning look.

"Lowardian. Remember? The aliens that attacked Earth all those years ago?"

"Oh…_righ'. _How can eh forget…" Duff grumbled at the memory of waking up to a perfectly ruined lawn. "Aye…Lowardian different."

"She's an alien?"

"No."

"A vampire?"

Duff growled, getting annoyed at her pestering. "No."

"Then what?"

"Look, it's nae eh fuckin' guessin' game, aight?"

"Sor_ry_…geez." Kim sighed. She waited for Duff to calm down before speaking again. "Well…think of it this way. If she was…_different _all along, then how are things really different? The only thing that's changed is the fact that you know the truth about her. To be honest, I was always suspicious about Abigail. She didn't seem normal to me."

"Why? Whut made it obvious?" Duff asked her.

"Um…_hello_…did you see how perfect her body was? And her skin and hair? Totally not normal. _Celebrities _aren't even that perfect. And her voice was always so soft and angelic…"

Duff cringed at hearing that word, and Kim noticed. "What did I say? All I said was her voice…._oh_." Kim blinked. "Seriously?"

Duff covered his face, trying to block the confusion. "Seriously." He mumbled.

Most of the hybrids were from North America and Europe, and a couple from South America, Asia, and a few from Africa. Their route took them around the west coast of North America, then through Central America, up the east coast of North America again, then across the Atlantic over to northern Europe, dropping off the hybrids as close as possible to where their homes were. Duff supplied each of them with the necessary funds for transportation, food, and whatever else they may need for their journeys.

Kim offered to stop at Duff's island and drop him off next after they reached northern Europe. Duff claimed he should stay to oversee everyone got home safely with enough money and supplies. Kim insisted that she would take care of everything, but Duff was too afraid to go back home so soon, even though it's been weeks since he last saw Abby.

"You're always going to be afraid until you actually man up and face her. I know it's scary after seeing the impossible. But remember nothing is impossible…that word isn't in my dictionary and it shouldn't be in yours either. Your daughter probably misses you a lot. Think of _her_, and how scared she must be for _you_."

It was difficult, but Kim eventually was able to convince Duff to pack his things and return home. "You give me the money and I'll distribute it to the rest of the hybrids. I'll make sure everyone gets home safe…I told them that if they wanted to reach me, they could just call or beep me, you know, on my Kimmunicator, and I'll help them with whatever they need." Kim laughed. "Trust me…I have a bit more experience helping people then you have, Mr. Deadliest Golfer."

Duff chuckled. "Whut an idiot…" he mumbled, thinking back to his old evil cheesy self. He looked at Kim. "Err, ehm nae very good ah this but…thanks fer yer help. Ye know…talkin' an' everythin'."

"No big." She smiled. "If you need anything…you know who to call. It's nice to see you…you know…after everything….normal. Despite how you used to be, you're not too bad of a guy. I wish I could say that for everyone else."

Duff chuckled again. "Eh wouldn' be so quick as te say tha', now…talk te someone who _really _knows meh."

"Like Abby?"

Duff stopped smiling. He paused to think about Abby again. He tried to forget her these past few weeks. He tried to clear his mind of everything, but now all his loving memories of her came flooding back and he couldn't help but smile bigger and brighter than he did before. "Aye…like Abby."

"I don't think she has _any _negative thoughts about you."

Duff didn't reply. He was too busy remembering all the times she made him laugh and the times they tried so hard not to flirt with each other. He remembered how she used to tease him, and yell at him, but it was all with love. He remembered the taste of her lips and how soft her skin always felt, how her body molded perfectly to his….Kim was right. He would never be more ready than he was now to face her. He was scared, but at the same time he missed her. Kim was right…Abby had always been the same person. Nothing has changed, just the fact that he knows her secret, however strange it is.

Duff decided to leave the rest of the hero work to Kim. She called up Wade and Duff gave permission to hack into his bank account and take out whatever the hybrids needed.

As the submarine got closer to Duff's island, alarms started to go off and the submarine shook, and everyone was thrown to the side of the room due to a strong hit. The ship rumbled and all the passengers were afraid they would sink and drown, but Duff told Kim to surface the ship.

"What is it?" she yelled over the beeping controls.

"Charlie." Duff yelled back.

"Who?"

"Meh sea monster!"

Kim rolled her eyes. "Oh…right. _Him_."

"He doesn' recognize te ship. He doesn' know ehm in it."

With struggle, Kim brought the ship above sea level so Duff could step out and show his monstrous pet that the ship was okay to pass the Killigan barriers. Charlie continues to bang against the sides of the ship, and Kim told him to hurry before they tumbled over.

They surfaced just enough for Duff to open the hatch and face the sunlight. He stepped out and stood on the slippery wet metal. The water was still for a minute. The ship didn't move or shake. Duff thought maybe Charlie had given up.

Then, Duff heard a sound. He heard the sound of water moving. He slowly turned around, and faced Charlie's long, skinny neck. It stretched hundreds of feet in the air, and Charlie's large, scaly head hovered over him like Duff was a prey. The monster flared his mane of gills and flashed his sharp, pearly teeth.

"Charlie! It's meh!" Duff shouted up at the monster. He waved with his hands, and after a few moments Charlie's eyes transformed from hostility to playfulness. He reached his head down, and with his teeth he grabbed Duff's back, threw him into the air, and he landed on top of Charlie's head. The beast roared with happiness.

Duff chuckled. "Aigh't, eh missed ye too. Grab meh bags, an' let's head back te the castle."

Charlie obeyed by grabbing Duff's bags with his mouth, and they sailed towards the shore. Duff looked back and saw Kim waving to him through the opening, and he waved back. She then closed the hatch and the submarine descended under the water again.

When they reached the shore, Charlie gently lowered his head and Duff slid off his neck. The monster dropped the bags from his mouth…much to Duff's disgust, they were covered with saliva, but he thought ahead to pack in water-proof duffle bags. Duff picked his bags up and was about to head for the castle, but Charlie jumped up on shore and rolled on his belly. He wagged his long, spiky tail. Duff didn't like it when Charlie got on shore, because he was so heavy he ruined his landscaping. But, Duff let it go this time. He was gone for a while and he missed his family, and that included his pets. Duff smiled, went over to Charlie and rubbed his slimy stomach. The monster's tail was so long, it stretched past the shore and lay in the water, and when he wagged it fast, sea water splashed all over the two of them. Duff yelled and ran away playfully, but Charlie chased after him, wanting more attention. The monster caught up with him and licked his body with its split tongue. Duff shuddered.

"No offense Charlie, but tis is why eh leave te playin' te Bessie."

Charlie growled a little, as if to say, 'but I want to play with _you _every once in a while, too!'

"Charlie, ehm tired. Let meh go inside te castle. Eh promise eh'll come see ye later. Eh did miss ye boy." He pat the monster's ear. Charlie bowed his head in understanding and escaped back into the water. Duff took off his coat, covered in slime and water, took his other things, and headed towards the castle.

He felt really good. He was happy to be home again.

Duff opened the doors with ease. They weren't locked. He set his bags and coat down. He would wash them later. He wanted to see his family.

The first one to greet him was Seamus. The little dog jumped up, digging his paws into Duff's thighs. Duff picked him up and Seamus wouldn't stop licking his face. Duff couldn't remember the last time his dog greeted him so lovingly. He felt bad for having left.

"Where's Bess, eh? Go show meh where Bess is." Duff set the dog down on the floor, and the terrier ran up the steps and scratched on Bessie's bedroom door. He barked and barked and wagged his tail until Bessie slowly open the door.

"Whut is it, Seamus?" Duff could overhear her mumble her words with such a morbid tone. She sounded depressed. Seamus barked and ran back down the stairs. Bessie opened the door just a bit wider, enough to peer out, look downstairs and see her father standing by the door with a smile on his face and open arms.

"DADDY!" Bessie screamed. She jolted down the stairs so fast she nearly slipped and fell. Within two seconds she was in Duff's arms, sobbing, and squeezing him tight.

Duff leaned down and kissed her head. He held her so tight, and was overcome by such emotion that he started to cry too. He didn't know that he could cause such sadness by leaving his little girl. Though he knew she loved him, Duff didn't think Bessie would have this kind of reaction when he came home.

"Ehm sorry….ehm so sorry fer leavin', Bess. But ehm back now." He talked to her in a soothing voice. He stroked and kissed her hair again.

"Don' _ever _leave again! _Ever_!" Bessie continued to bury her head in his chest and cry. "Eh love ye, daddy! Don' ever go!"

"Oh, eh missed ye, meh bonny girl."

Bessie only hugged him tighter and cried harder. They stayed like that for another minute, then Duff offered to make her a cup of tea as she sat on the couch. Bessie agreed, though she was still shaken from such happiness and just wanted to hug her father forever and never let him go. After making her a cup of chamomile tea and honey, Duff sat down with her and wrapped her in a cozy wool blanket.

"Are ye okay? Ye were safe while eh wus gone?"

Bessie looked at him, her eyes still red and wet. "Aye. Abby's friend stayed wit meh an' kept meh safe."

"Her…friend?" Duff leaned back on the couch.

"Aye, one o' te elders. She's really nice." Bess blew on her hot tea, and took a small sip.

"The…elders?" Duff embraced the worst. He knew he had to face the truth about things, now. Abby told him that Bessie knew about her secret; but how much?

"Aye…an' elder guardian. Her name is Cathy. She says ye become an' elder when yer eh guardian fer eh long time, an' if yer smart enough. She's still around, she said she wanted te meet ye."

"Where's Abby?" Duff asked. He could worry about this 'Cathy' person later…he wanted to know where _his _guardian was.

"On te roof."

Duff blinked. He wasn't sure what Bessie meant. "Te…roof?"

"Aye. She should still be up ther."

"As in…te roof of te castle?"

Bessie nod her head. Duff widened his eyes a little bit, and jolted off the couch. He ran upstairs, then up another few flights of stairs, down a few hallways until he found the staircase to one of the castle's towers, where he would be high enough to see some of the roof. He was out of breath but he ran as fast as he could anyway, and when he reached the top, he opened the door and leaned over the balcony, looking up.

He could barely see Abby's legs at the angle he was looking. If he tried to look any further up, he would fall over the balcony. Another piece of roof blocked his view of Abby's face.

"Are ye crazy?" Duff shouted. He saw Abby stand up, and she jumped down and landed perfectly on the thin stone railing of the balcony. Duff pulled her onto the solid ground and looked at her angrily.

"Duff…you're home." Abby smiled. She wanted to embrace him, but the expression on Duff's face told her it wasn't a good idea.

"Whut te hell were ye doin' up ther?" Duff shouted.

"Looking at the horizon…"

"Ye could've gotten killed! Whut if ye fell? Don' _ever _do tha' ehgain, ye hear meh?"

Abby looked at him strangely. "If I fell, I could have just—"

"No, eh don' care! Yer…_wings _might nae of…eh dunno…came out in time. Besides, yer wearin' eh shirt, how are they goin' te come out if yer wearin' clothin'?"

"Duff…I would have been fine. Are you okay?"

He huffed and turned from her. "Okay…do eh look okay? Maybe if yer weren't such eh daredevil then eh wouldn' worry so much!"

"Stop it! _Sitting _on top of the roof isn't dangerous for me, I wouldn't put myself in danger like that. What's wrong with you? You're treating me like a child!"

"Well, whut ehm eh supposed te do? All o' tis shit is new te meh, eh dunno whut te do! Eh don' know _how _te treat ye anymore!"

Abby stared at him. She wanted to figure out why he was being so uncomfortable around her. Her eyes filled with tears, she couldn't help it. She was the same woman Duff knew, she tried to think what changed. Why was it so hard for him to accept the truth about her? It was a lot to sink in, sure, but she was the same person. Duff noticed she had tears in her eyes, and his expression softened.

"Welcome home." Abby mumbled lowly as she escaped through the door and ran down the stairs. Duff felt terrible and ran after her.

Eventually he caught up with her on the stairs. He grabbed her so she couldn't get away. Abby tried to push him off but he wouldn't let her go.

"Abby ehm sorry…tha' came out wrong." She continued to grunt and tried to push him off. Tears streamed from her eyes. "Eh didn' mean whut eh said!"

"Yes you did! I'm just a freak to you, aren't I? You know, I was surprised you sent me back to the castle. I didn't think you'd want me in your home anymore."

"Eh can't…send ye away. Yer still eh part o' tis family. Eh jus' need…_time _te get used te yer…"

"What, my body? Or my job to watch over you?"

Duff opened his mouth to answer, but he didn't know what to say.

"Well you might not have a lot of time." Abby successfully escaped from his grasp and ran down the spiral stairs. Duff took a moment to think of what she said, and ran after her.

"Wait, whut dye mean eh don' have eh lot o' time?"

Duff reached the end of the stairs. He looked to his left and saw Abby leaning against the wall, tears falling down her beautiful cheeks.

"Whut dye mean?" Duff said again. He took Abby's hand. She looked away from him, but he gently gripped her chin and pulled her face towards him.

"Why don' eh have time?" he asked again.

"Nothing."

"No, it's nae _nuthin'_. Yer keepin' somethin' from meh. Whut is it?"

"It doesn't matter."

"It _does _matter. Whut's wrong? Are ye leavin'?"

"I don't know."

"Whut?" A wave of realization washed across Duff's face. The thought of Abby leaving him and Bessie was not an option.

Abby looked away again, but Duff forced her to look at him. He gripped her face a little more forcefully.

"Abby…tell meh! Are ye leavin'? How am eh supposed te get used te this if eh don' know anythin'!"

"Stop! I'll…tell you later."

"Why nae now?"

"Because I'm not up to telling you right now! You _insulted _me, and _frankly_, you've been doing that a lot lately, and I don't want to talk to you if you're going to keep _looking _at me like you are now! Like I'm some museum sculpture!"

Duff took his hand away from her face. He looked at her in the eye. "Ehm sorry, Abby. Ehm jus' confused."

"Yeah, well figure things out yourself. I'm not going to stick around and let you abuse me anymore."

Abby turned to leave, but Duff grabbed her hand and pulled her back.

"Ehm sorry. Ehm sorry fer everythin' eh said jus' now an' back at te island. Ehm tryin' te understand. Please…jus'…"

"No! I've been waiting and waiting for you to come home, and after weeks you come back and start insulting me again."

"Abby, eh don' know whut te say? Whut dye say te an angel? Eh never even _believed _in God!"

Abby sighed. She wiped tears from her eyes. "No…there is no God. And I prefer the term guardian. Angel is a Catholic term." She looked up at Duff. "There is so much to tell you."

Duff took her hand, brought it to his lips and kissed her fingers. "Ehm sorry fer insultin' ye. Ye know how hot-headed eh can be." He looked up at her with big puppy dog eyes and continued to kiss her hand. "Eh'd like it if ye could forgive meh."

Abby looked at him sternly, but with his doe-eyed, out of character expression, she couldn't hold back a smile. She had to giggle a little bit when he batted his eyelashes.

"Eh want ye te tell me everythin'. Eh want us te sit down on our couch…te same place where eh used te tell ye all meh secrets late at night when neither of us could sleep…an' eh want ye te tell meh yer secrets now. Yer past due. An' eh promise nae te judge or insult ye or hurt yer feelin's in any way. Eh'll listen an' try meh best te understand, te think before sayin' anythin' stupid, and te remember tha' yer still te same Abby eh love an' cherish. Okay?"

Abby smiled a little bit. She felt herself blush. Duff was being romantic with her. "Okay." She said.

They went downstairs to the living area. Duff lit the fireplace and went into the kitchen to make two cups of herbal tea. Abby sat down on the couch and got comfortable. She felt strange…this was going to be the first time Abby talked to Duff about her life and all her secrets. She felt happy to finally relieve herself of all the internal emotions that she could never share. She felt warm from the fire, and sank into the plush couch like she'd been forever in a stone-cold world. In a way she almost felt giddy. She felt like a young girl telling her best friend her deepest secrets at a sleepover party. When Duff came back into the room with two mugs of tea, she took her mug and put it to the side. She wasn't ready to relax.

Duff leaned on his side to face Abby. He took a sip of his tea and put it on his side table as well.

"So…how did…tis happen? How does one become an…eh, guardian?" he leaned his elbow on the back of the couch and rested his face in his palm. The side of his face got all squished from the pressure of his hand.

Abby inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly. "To become a guardian you have to have full spiritual connection."

"Whut dye mean by spiritual connection?" Duff interrupted.

"I mean it by a couple different things. There are who-knows-how-many religions out there. Most people believe in God, and the Devil, heaven and hell, angels and demons…other religions believe in polytheism or spiritual guidelines…there are countless beliefs. People that are very devoted to their beliefs will claim that their religion is the correct one and will preach it to others, some will shame non-believers. Other people who have more of an open, carefree mind will say that it's okay for everyone to have their own beliefs."

"Right…" Duff knew this was true. Some people shoved their religions down others' throats, while some people were okay with so many different cultures and beliefs in the same world.

"Well…okay. Let me start off by saying this. The religions that are most accurate are Hinduism, Buddhism, and those similar to the eastern beliefs. Every living creature on this Earth has a soul. In eastern religions, there is the belief of dharma, karma, and reincarnation. When a person dies, their soul is judged by a guardian, usually an elder. They then determine whether the soul had lived a pure life and discovered moral transformation. You may know this as dharma. If the soul passes the test, they are reincarnated to a higher form of life. If not, they fall to a lower life form. So if the soul lived a human life and did not reach a higher state of mind, their next life may be an animal, and lower on the scale can be an insect or even plant-life."

Duff raised his hand like he was a little boy in school again. "Question…whut dye mean by 'pure life an' moral transformation'?"

Abby sighed. "There's really no right or wrong answer to it. Every situation is different. When I died,"

"Whut?" Duff interrupted. He looked at her with googly-eyes.

Abby sighed again. "Okay…in my recently passed life, I was married, had two children, and I was very happy. I was a successful writer, actress, model, director…I was a well-known artist. My childhood was harsh, I hated my mother and I didn't have many friends growing up. During that life I believed in the idea of dharma, karma, reincarnation of the soul, guardians, and the spirit of life itself. I prayed and made sacrifices and performed rituals…not with animals or anything like that. Later in life my husband died before I was fifty, and it left me scarred for practically the rest of my life, because we were so in love with each other and so happy. I died of old age and when my soul was reincarnated, I was reborn as a guardian. Now, when a guardian is born, they are born not as a child but in the young body of their past life, usually around twenties or early thirties, and you stay in that youthful body forever. You don't age or grow."

"Everyone has past lives, including you, but as mortal beings we don't remember them. We don't have enough of a spiritual connection with the world to experience the memories of our soul. Sometimes we may have subconscious thoughts, feelings, or dreams that are really memories of our past lives only we don't realize it. When I became a guardian I remembered my last passed life, and because it was so recent I still retain some attached feelings from that life, like how I sometimes miss my husband and my children."

"Are they still alive? Yer children?" Duff asked.

"Yes, but they have almost reached the end. I have been watching over their lives since I became a guardian thirty seven years ago."

Duff squinted his eyes and nod his head. He was trying so hard to understand and soak all the information in without getting too confused. Abby noticed and appreciated his effort.

"Alrigh', continue. So ye remember yer past life."

"Well, the soul can live hundreds or even thousands of lives before it reaches salvation. As a guardian, I remember _all _of my past lives, since the beginning of time. I remember being a bat, a snake, a mountain goat, I remember living in ancient Egypt…I even remember being a mermaid."

"Eh mermaid? They exist?"

"Not anymore. They used to during the Devonian period."

"Te whut period?"

"It was before the evolution of dinosaurs."

"Ah…"

"So…when I was reborn as a guardian I reached salvation, and complete connection to my eternal soul and all the wisdom I've learned from all my lives. It's a reward for reaching full spiritual realization and moral understanding. But I remember my recently passed life the most…that's why I've been so…distant with you. Because I still miss my husband."

"Te husband from yer past life."

"Yes. I know it's silly, but it doesn't feel like an entirely different lifetime. It feels recent."

"Why are ye punished te feel grief when ye've reached salvation?"

"It's not punishment. My last life was a happy and blessed one, but with happiness there is always pain and struggle. It's the natural order of things. There are always two sides to everything…white and black, good and evil, happiness and sadness. Chinese philosophy correctly established the concept of yin and yang."

"Did yer husband become eh guardian, too?"

"No."

"Oh, err…sorry." Duff wasn't even sure if that was something to _be _sorry about.

"It's okay."

"Ye said he wus yer soul-mate? Whut does that mean spiritually?"

"Well…I could be wrong, but I believed he was. Spiritually it means that every soul is paired with another soul, and in every lifetime there is the possibility of meeting with that other soul, and most form the relationship with this person either as a friendship or a marriage, and even though the relationship will provide the blessing of undying happiness, forming a relationship with your soul-mate is also an important experience used to try and reach a higher spiritual connection." Duff looked a little confused, so Abby tried to explain it using eastern terms. "Basically, if your past lives had good dharma, fate rewards you with good karma. You are unknowingly introduced to someone whose soul is mated to your own, and you get the chance to take advantage of that relationship. It is a happy union, but life is not just about finding happiness. Life isn't just about _your _life, it involves you, others, and the spirits that guide you. A life with a soul mate gives you the opportunity to connect deeper into your soul and find the wisdom you need to achieve a higher understanding. A soul mate helps you find enlightenment. The only problem is, there is no way to tell if someone is your soul-mate or not. You can't tell by compatibility tests or anything like that. The personality has nothing to do with the soul. Am I making sense?"

"Eh'll be honest ehm getting' eh wee confused." Duff took another sip of his tea, but it was cold now.

"A soul mate doesn't have to be an opposite gender, but in most cases it is because of the 'yin-yang' theory. A soul mate can even be as easy as a mother and daughter. The two bring out spiritual enlightenment in each other over time and as their relationship grows."

"Okay…but as eh guardian don' ye have te ability te tell who yer soul-mate is? Does it matter if yer eh guardian an' yer soul-mate isn't?"

"No, I don't have any special ability to see that. I am fully connected to my own soul, but not my mated soul, until they become a guardian themselves. There is somewhat of a separation, though, because my mated soul is still living a mortal life on Earth and has less of a chance meeting me, because I live on another plane. I only come down to Earth if I am assigned a job."

"Yer job wus te…whut? Make sure eh didn' become eh pure-evil jerk?"

"Actually, my original assignment was to watch over Bessie. The way she was growing up was starting to corrupt her. She needed a mother figure. You were…how do I say this lightly…an _issue _in her life that I needed to fix. You exposed her to many negative aspects such as sex and drugs, and you did not give her the love and support that she needed on a daily basis to grow into a peaceful young woman. But I requested to the elders if they would allow me to assist you in reaching a higher understanding as well."

"Why didn' they want ye te help meh in te first place?"

"They thought you were beyond help. Your past lives did not have a good history of enlightenment. When souls have a low understanding, they are 'cursed' to face many obstacles at the beginning of their new lives. In each life you are expected to rise from these obstacles, and you did for a while, but when your sister died you lost your strength and sank lower than ever, as you well know. They thought you weren't at a high enough level of spiritual connection to receive help from a guardian, but I sympathized with you."

Duff continued to look a little lost. "Och, eh feel like ehm in school ehgain an' ye te math teacher tryin' te throw all yer lessons on meh at once." He chuckled a little bit, remembering school. "Eh used te be terrible at math. Eh used te ask meh Pa fer help but he'd always say it wus useless te teach meh…Carol would always try te help meh, but she didn' know anythin' either but she didn' give up on me. We'd stay up all night jus' tryin' te understand one equation."

Abby smiled.

"Whut is yer job then, exactly, as eh guardian? Te help someone achieve tis spiritual connection?"

"I am assigned an individual. I disguise as a mortal and enter their lives in whatever relationship I can possibly form. Yes, my goal is to lead the individual to enlightenment, but sometimes, like in Bessie's case, my goal is to…be a physical blessing and bring support and happiness, so enlightenment comes easier. Usually guardians are assigned to those very close to enlightenment as a reward."

"Is enlightenment te same thing as salvation?"

"Not necessarily. Salvation is the highest plane you reach. Guardians are in the plane of salvation, but you can reach salvation without being a guardian. Souls are chosen to be guardians if they have a natural power to nurture and heal."

"So whut dye do if yer nae eh guardian but yer in salvation?"

"That's…a little hard to explain right now. I think you should soak some of this in first before I say any more."

"Ehm…interested, surprisingly. Eh've never been religious or spiritual but all o' this is so…eh don' even know how te put it. Other-worldly, maybe?"

"You are gaining knowledge that no mortal has been told before."

"So yer immortal?"

"Yes, immortal, but my physical body is an evolved form of the human body."

"Why wings, though? Dye 'ave tall castles an' towers in te clouds tha' ye fly around te?"

Abby smirked. "No, nothing like that. The wings were a part of the guardian body since the beginning of time. It was nature's way of symbolizing the separation guardians have from mortals. We are free from that which bounds mortals to Earth."

"Which is whut? Emotions?"

"No. Emotions are not a curse. Guardians have emotions too, as well as animals and other life forms. That which bounds mortals to the Earthly plane include earthly attachments and selfishness, unfulfilled desires, feelings of revenge, a stronger connection with the body rather than the soul, and mainly the gravity humans feel from not being able to overcome the obstacles of the physical world. To obtain freedom from Earth is to simply acknowledge the existence of spirituality."

"Och…" Duff rubbed his temples. "Tis is eh lot eh information….ehm gonna heat meh tea up…ye want meh te take yers too?"

"Yes, thank you." Abby handed Duff her mug. He got up from the couch and took the two mugs into the kitchen. He put Abby's mug into the microwave first, and set it for forty seconds. Abby got up to stretch and came into the kitchen with him. She leaned against the counter. Duff and Abby gazed at each other as they waited.

Forty seconds passed and Duff was woken from his trance. He took Abby's mug out of the microwave, slid it over the counter to her, and put in his own mug, setting it for another forty seconds. Duff immediately went back to being hypnotized by Abby's ocean-blue eyes. She sipped her tea and stared back at him. When the microwave beeped, Duff ignored it. He remained gazing at her for a few silent minutes.

"You have a habit of forgetting about your tea, you know." Abby said with a coy smile as she took another sip from her mug.

"Eh know." Duff replied. A few more moments of tension passed before Duff spoke again.

"Can eh see em?"

Abby paused drinking and looked at him strangely. "See what?"

"Ye know…te wings."

"You mean the tattoo or…"

"No, eh want te see yer wings." Duff stepped closer. "Actually, eh want te watch yer tattoo _transform_ inte yer wings."

"Oh, well…" Abby set her mug down and looked at him, unsure. He only stepped closer and she blushed. Duff placed a warm hand on her hip, gliding up under her shirt a bit to feel her skin. He generously felt the curves of her waist. It made Abby fill with heat and a little bit of desire.

"So can I?" he mumbled seductively. Abby only blushed more.

She wasn't afraid to show him her wings, but was embarrassed to have to undress. Abby turned around and took off her shirt. She wore a white and black lacy bra. Duff followed up the base of her spine with his fingertip until he reached her bra strap.

"May I?" he whispered. Abby felt extraordinary chills run through her body, but she looked back and nodded her head.

Duff unhooked the straps. Abby covered herself in the front with one arm and pulled the bra off. Duff ran his hand over her shoulders, and gazed at the tattoo and how detailed it looked. It was strange to feel Abby's skin, because the tattoo looked like it had a realistic feathery texture, but her skin was so soft and flawless. Duff ran his fingertip up and down her spine, in between both wings.

"Show me…" he whispered. Abby sighed and slowly, the tattoo on her back started to move. The outlines of her wings started to raise like scars. Slowly the scars started to open, like Abby's skin was being cut, but instead of blood pouring out, Duff saw the white feathers emerge from inside her body. Duff felt her skin raising and raising and the scars kept opening and her skin retreated and disappeared, and feathers started lifting out from inside her body. The wing bones folded out like they were stretching after taking a long nap, and feathers puffed out as they retracted from the skin and contacted the air, ready for flight. Duff couldn't help but touch her feathers. Not only were they dry, but they were the softest material he's ever felt. He stroked them as if Abby was his little pet, and he continued to fluff her wings and feel the bone that went through them as the entire wing protruded from the skin.

Abby's wings circled around Duff and formed a barrier. He stroked the soft feathers with his fingertips like he was afraid of hurting them if he touched with too much pressure. It was the most perfect and amazing thing he had ever seen. The feathers stroked against his face and his body, and he felt like he was being blessed. He _was_, in fact, touching a 'guardian' angel. Duff thought of how he never even considered this being possible. His mother believed in guardian angels. She always told him that he was watched by people that care about him, and even when he was older and she would be gone, they would continue to watch over him and her spirit would join with theirs. Duff never really understood the concept of spirits. He was never religious and didn't believe in any kind of god. And now, he was being brushed by fluttering feathers from an angel's winged body. It was mind-blowing.

"How did ye get yer wings te come out so quickly when they…ye know…pushed ye out of te window?" Duff mumbled. He didn't want to have to bring that up again, but he was so curious.

"They can come out as quickly as I need them." Abby was still blushing from being bare chested, even though she covered herself as much as possible. Her wings contracted and lay against her back, the wing bones folded comfortably.

"Nae, but wit yer bra an' yer shirt, ye obviously don' 'ave time te take them off before ye hit te ground." Duff reached for his mug and took a long gulp of semi-warm tea.

"Well…usually I wear backless bras, and the bones can rip through my shirt if I don't have time to take it off. But…if need be I can undress pretty quickly."

Duff nearly choked. Tea dribbled from his mouth as he tried not to spit it all over Abby's shirt. Her response was so sexy and unexpected that Duff didn't know what to say. He was googly-eyed as Abby's wings melted back into ink within seconds, and she refastened her bra. She put her shirt back on, turned around, and grabbed her tea mug.

"Wait…how fast?" Duff asked as he coughed and dried his mouth with a napkin.

Abby just looked at him with a blank expression. She didn't mean to say what she did in a flirty way. She _had _to be able to undress quickly in case her clothes were too thick or she wasn't wearing the right bra.

"I don't know…waist up I can probably undress in four seconds."

Duff's mouth stayed agape for a good full minute. Abby had to hold his chin and close it.

"Don't get any ideas…drink your tea." She mumbled.

"Four seconds?" Duff's mouth dropped again. Abby didn't bother closing it again. "Show me.."

"_No_!" Abby gasped at him like he was a bad-mannered little boy. She playfully slapped his arm. "You're vulgar, you know that?"

"So? Show me…eh want te see ye undress as fast as ye say ye can…" Duff grinned mischievously and pulled at the bottom of her shirt.

"Not happening." Abby pushed away his hand.

"Why nae?" Duff attempted to tug at her V-neck to expose her bra. Abby stopped him from succeeding.

"Not a chance."

"Why _nae_? Yer jus' showin' meh eh very refined skill o' yers…" Duff chuckled as he playfully grabbed her waist and pulled her to him. Abby rebelled and tried to get away, but he trapped her by pushing her against the counter and hovering over her, and gripping the counter with his strong-as-steel arms, like forming a locked cage around her body. Abby couldn't help but giggle and tried pushing him off, but he was too strong.

"Not…_fair…_" she yelled as she banged against his chest. "Let me _go_!"

"Nae until ye _show me_…"

"Something tells me you wouldn't be satisfied if I did it with my back to you."

Duff leaned in and his lips just lightly touched her ear. "Define satisfied." He whispered. Abby could feel his hot breath bursting inside her ear and it shot a tingling feeling all throughout her body. Duff's lips glazed all over the skin of her ear. He came down to her earlobe, bit it gently, and pulled a little. Abby gasped and grabbed his arms. Duff recognized this as a signal.

"Whut satisfies ye?" he whispered again. Duff said it so slowly, and his breath warmed Abby's neck. Duff moved his hand up and under her shirt again to feel her skin. He grabbed her curves every once in a while as the heat of his breath continued to dance with her nerves. Abby grabbed his arms tighter and tried to rebel, but her words only came out as sighs and small moans.

"Why don' ye show me…" Duff smiled and kissed her shoulder, then planted soft kisses in a trail up her neck and back to her ear again. Abby tried harder to push him away.

"This isn't fair…you're doing this on purpose…" her voice came out in heavy breaths, like she just ran twenty miles.

"Doing whut?" Abby could hear the grin beneath his voice.

"You know…what." She gasped as she felt her heart race faster.

"Mmm…ehm nae sure whut yer talkin' abou'…" Duff could help but chuckle as he moaned, on purpose, as he kissed her collarbone deeply like it was her lips.

"Duff I'm not…I don't…can't…" Her breathing was slightly quicker. Abby pushed and grabbed and clawed at his arms all at once. The feeling of her nails digging into his skin only made Duff feel hotter.

"Can't whut?" he panted like a dog on a blazing summer day.

"I don't know…" Abby mumbled so low, he barely heard her, and Duff thought she was only talking to herself.

Duff was filled with passion from fingertip to core. He felt like he just stepped out of a sauna. His breathing was as if he performed a marathon. He was losing the connection from his mind and body and felt faint, but at the same time more energetic than ever.

"Let's get in te bedroom…" Duff purred.

"No…Duff…." Abby cried. Duff relaxed against her body. He tried to control his breathing and cool down. He knew she really meant it. Abby held him and their foreheads touched. She stroked the back of his head and ran her fingertips over the outline of his beard. "…no. I can't."

"Can't or won't?"

Abby sighed. Duff grabbed his mug and turned from her. He sat down at the kitchen table and drank the rest of his tea, slightly wishing there was some whiskey in it.

"Duff I _want _to but I'm not…ready for that. I know we've kissed and it was nice but…"

"It wus nice?" Duff interrupted. "Is tha' the best word in yer vocabulary? Well te meh, kissin' ye is extraordinary, spectacular, it's happiness."

Abby turned from him and headed for the kitchen door. She wasn't going to fight him. She knew he was upset that she always kept pushing him away or ending great moments.

"Stop _fightin_' it! If ye want meh, ehm right 'ere fer takin'! Is there some 'guardians can't date mortals' rule eh don' know about?"

"No." Abby looked away from him.

"Then eh dunno whut's holdin' ye back, Abby! If ye didn' want te hurt yer soulmate, ye wouldn' 'ave let meh pant all over ye jus' now!"

His words were too harsh. Abby felt tears well in her eyes and she left the room. Immediately Duff felt bad. He got up to go after her, but then he soon realized he wasn't sure what he was going to say once he got hold of her. He wanted to apologize, but at the same time he was frustrated and upset. He didn't want her, he _needed _her. But after promising that he would be there for her, patiently waiting until her mind was clear, Duff's endless habits pushed for a sensual moment that was too much, too soon. He was a disaster when it came to patiently waiting for a woman he so sexually desired.

Duff moped in the kitchen for an hour, brewing and drinking more tea. He had to argue with himself whether or not to drink a little whiskey, but he was able to stop himself by debating that Abby wouldn't like it. Plus, he knew that if he started drinking, he would have a hard time stopping.

He felt like he should have banged his head on the table. Maybe it would help him feel better. Instead, he just rested it on the rough wood surface. He didn't need alcohol, he already felt drunk.

Duff heard light footsteps, and he could feel that someone was standing in the kitchen doorway. He figured it was Abby, since he knew he sent Bessie outside to play with Charlie and Seamus for a while, and she usually didn't linger in doorways.

"Ehm sorry fer pressurin' ye an' puttin' ye in these situations…" Duff mumbled. He moaned a little from the headache that slowly started to pound in his head. Why was he always such a screw up?

"Don' be sorry." Said an unfamiliar Scottish accent.

Duff immediately looked up and gazed at an unfamiliar, beautiful young woman. She had thick dark hair braided into an artistic up-do. She wore an all-white robe, and stood gracefully with her hands folded in front. He felt more curiosity than alarm, which was an abnormal reaction from him. Somehow he felt like he knew this woman, and that he trusted her.

"Who are ye?" he asked.

The woman said nothing. She simply smiled and gazed at his face, his body, and Duff could even feel her gazing at his aura, or something past his physicality. Her stare wasn't creepy, it was compassionately.

Duff didn't ask again. The woman walked into the kitchen and glided over to him like she was a ghost with no feet to balance on.

"You've grown so much." She said with excitement in her voice.

"Ye know me er somethin'?"

"It's amazin' how in yer mind ye always picture eh wee boy, and you cannae picture whut they'll look like in years te come, but when ye finally do te resemblance is almost obvious."

Duff was silent. Has she been a guardian, watching over him since he was little? The guardian that looked over his life before Abby came along?

Duff looked into her eyes. They were a coal black, just like his father's, just like his. Her features were soft, but she had a sharp nose, a full lip, and a sharp pointed jaw. Slowly Duff felt like memories he should have never forgotten came flooding back into his head, extraordinarily refreshing memories. He knew this woman.

"G-gram…?" Duff mumbled.

Cathella smiled softly. "Not who ye expected te see, eh? Abby _said _she put yer daughter in trustworthy hands."

Duff was agape. His dead grandmother was standing in front of him. Before he could speak any words, he hugged her with all his strength.

"Yer eh guardian too?"

"Aye. Eh closed meh eyes, an' when eh open them again ehm eh young woman wit eh fresh new life of immortality." Cathella chuckled. Her laugh was very similar to Duff's. "Eh learned of who eh became an' whut meh responsibilities were. Te other elders at te time assigned meh te watch o'er an' help chosen individuals an' families, but all eh could think about wus ye an' Carol, Will, an' yer Ma and Pa. Eh didn't get te watch ye grow an' help meh own fam. It wusn't fair. They told meh tha' ye weren't meh fam anymore. All meh memories were from eh past life. But eh didn' believe tha'. Whenever eh got te chance eh tried te visit ye in spirit." Cathella took Duff by the shoulders and guilt washed over her. "Oh, Duffaile…how eh wish eh wus there te comfort ye when yer Ma passed…an' Carol. Ye were inseparable. Ye were so alone after she left, an' eh pleaded fer te elders te assign ye eh guardian but they didn't approve. They said it wusn' yer time. Eh couldn' stand te see ye grow with such pain an' no love an' support or fam te help ye get through life. Eh know ye were never close wit Pa or Will…"

"Eh hated them." Duff said flatly.

"Eh know ye do. An' then ye were left te take care of eh baby on yer own…" tears welled in her eyes. "She's grown inte such eh wee miracle, an' so 'ave ye. Ye've grown so much with such strength, all by yerself. Dye understand how strong ye are te 'ave survived? Duffaile eh worried about ye, when ye were young. Will an' Pa always picked on ye an' Carol bein' yer only friend…eh jus' can't believe…"

Cathella hugged Duff again, tightly. She cried and told him how blessed she was to have such an intelligent, courageous grandson, as she still considered him so.

"Eh wus so happy when they assigned Abigail te ye. Eh knew she would bring ye te happiness ye deserved fer so long."

Duff looked down. "Aye…life hasn't been fair te meh. Abby told meh it's because meh soul wus bein' punished fer nae learnin' te right life lessons or somethin' like tha'."

Cathella nodded her head. "It's a natural cycle the soul experiences after each physical lifetime. But don' think of it tha' way…don' think tha' it wus yer fault tha' everythin happened te ye. This is all part of eh bigger picture, but eh'll tell ye eh wee secret…yer nae supposed te look ah te big picture. Te point is te focus on te details of yer own life an' find whut ye think has meanin' te ye. Don' get confused an' feel like ye 'ave te listen te all tis divinity. It exists, but ye don' need te be obsessed with it. Eh know eh wus…eh felt like eh wus consumed tryin' te pray an' bless ye an' te fam."

Duff looked up at her. It was still so strange to see his grandmother as a young, beautiful woman.

"How did ye become an elder?" he asked.

"Ye become an elder after years of experience of bein' eh guardian an' ye reach eh certain point where ye fully understand how te universe works. So after twenty-five years, eh started te finally realize everythin'. It's nae somethin' eh can tell ye in words. Ye form eh sixth sense, in eh way, where ye become fully connected te the rest of te physical world an' all te other worlds, an' in eh way, ye become like God. Yer wise enough te make difficult decisions tha' would have te right impact on te world. It's hard te explain."

Duff sat silently for a few moments. He continued to drink tea and tried not to think too much about all of this. His head was pounding. He felt pain after Cathella brought up all these emotions and memories back on the table. He remembered all the pain again that took years to forget.

"Gram…can eh ask something?"

"Of course ye can."

Duff took a while before words could come out. "Dye know whut happened te Ma an' Carol…ye know…in te afterlife?"

"Eh couldn't tell ye. As far as eh know, they didn' become guardians. They're probably livin' happy new lives now."

"There's no way te know who they are? Whut bodies they're in?"

Cathella felt sympathy for him. She could see the pain he was in. He wanted to see them again, even if they were babies with different faces and names, he wanted to be able to take care of them and be there for them when they grew up.

"Duffaile, ehm sorry but guardians don' have tha' kind of insight. No one knows whut life yer goin' te live next. An' even if eh _did _know, eh wouldn't be able te tell ye. _Eh _wouldn't even be able te be their guardian. It's like goin' back in time te fix yer past…ye jus' cannae do it."

"Eh understand." Duff looked down, he looked away, and he fought as much as he could not to cry. He _missed _his mother and his sister deeply. He never really moved on, Duff felt like he only suppressed it. Cathella hugged him, and Duff quickly felt like a little boy again. He sniffed and tears clouded his vision. He wished Abby was there to hug and comfort him, too. He suddenly remembered how sorry he felt for seducing her earlier. Abby was his savior. She brought him out of depression. He needed her right now. He needed to apologize.

Duff leaned out of the hug and wiped his eyes. "Eh have te find Abby. Gram…she wus te reason eh wus able te get past all te grief an' eh still miss 'em both, but she helped meh accept it. Eh love her, an eh haven't been makin' it easy fer her by constantly pushin' her te be wit meh but she's still grievin' over her own past life. Eh understand tha' eh need te be there fer her just as eh friend righ' now…"

"Duff." Cathella interrupted him. "There's somethin' ye should know."

"Whut?" he looked at her with suspicion. He could feel the tension coming.

"Guardians usually don'….stay…after they complete eh mission. Plus, ye found out about Abby's true identity an' she told ye a lot o' stuff ye weren't supposed te know."

"Abby _is _leavin'?" Duff ran towards the kitchen door, but Cathella stopped him.

"Duff, listen te meh. Ye weren't supposed te find out about guardians. Tha's like breakin' eh rule. Abby wusn't supposed te fly back inte the window where ye could see her wings. She wus supposed te make ye believe she wus dead, but she didn't believe she wus finished with her mission. She thinks she still needs more time with ye."

"More time with meh? Eh don' think so. Ehm nae lettin' her leave."

"Tha's nae up te her. The other elders have spoken te her…"

"No _offense_, but eh don' give eh fuck who these elders think they are. Abby is _nae _leavin'."

Cathella sighed. "Duff…please try te understand."

Duff headed for the door and didn't let Cathella stop him. "No, ehm nae goin' te understand. Where's Abby?"

"She's nae here."

"Whut dye _mean _she's nae here?" Duff closed in on her and expressed rage through his eyes. He didn't care at this point that he was talking to his grandmother.

"She went te go speak wit te elders. They're goin' te decide whut te do."

"Whut are te options?"

"Either she leaves, or eh court is goin' te be held."

"Eh court? Like eh court of law?"

"Aye. Ye'll get one if yer lucky, an' they'll decide whether or nae ye an' yer daughter Elspeth can be trusted te keep te secret of te guardians safe from te rest of te world, which eh already know ye can."

"How can ye do this? How can ye take her from meh an' Bess?" Duff knew it wasn't her fault, but he couldn't help but express his pain and anger at her. _She _was an elder. Couldn't she just tell them that he could be trusted and that Abby would do more good than harm by staying with him?

"Ehm sorry, Duff. It's eh matter of security."

Duff turned his back from her and ran outside. He found Bessie by the shore running around with Seamus and playing with him and their pet sea monster, Charlie.

"Bess…" Duff stopped to catch his breath. Bessie dropped the ball she was throwing to Seamus and ran over to him.

"Are ye okay, daddy?" she put her hand on his back and pat it, watching him huff and puff.

"Bess…did ye see Abby leave?"

"Aye, she said she had eh business meeting an' flew inte the horizon. It wus pretty te watch, she wus like eh bird!"

"Did she say goodbye te ye?" 

"Why?" The giddy expression on Bessie's face dropped.

"Did she say goodbye?" Duff asked again. He needed to know. If she did say goodbye, then Abby would have been worried that she wasn't coming back.

"Aye, she gave meh eh hug an' eh kiss."

Duff stood up and rubbed his head, panicking. "Did she say when she wus goin' te be back?"

"No, she said she didn' know. Whut's goin' on, daddy?" Bessie started te look upset. She _just _almost lost her father. Was she going to lose Abby now, too? Duff could see her eyes start to water.

"Nuthin'. Go back inside, it's gettin' dark. Eh jus' need te tell Abby somethin'. Go inside an' talk wit Cathella."

"Ye mean Cathy?"

"Aye." Duff never called her that name before. No one in his family did, not even 'Cat'. It made him smile that Bessie came up with her own nickname for her.

Bessie and Seamus ran back into the house. Duff pet Charlie on the head, and the monster sunk back underwater.

Duff looked out towards the horizon. The sun was setting and the sky was a mixture of pink and orange. He sat down on the grass and hugged his knees. It was getting chilly out. He closed his eyes and pictured Abby next to him. They would spread out a blanket and lay on it together, and talk until the sun set and the stars came out. They would cuddle to keep each other warm under soft, warm blankets. Duff smiled as he imagined holding Abby, under a blanket and laying on the cool grass, and kissing her lips gently. When he opened his eyes, the sky was still the same, and Abby wasn't in the sky flying back home. Duff didn't know _where _she even was. Was she in the sky, at some secret place in the clouds? Or was she even on Earth? Was she even on this 'plane' as she called it?

Duff watched the sky. Fifteen minutes passed, then thirty, eventually it was an hour. Cathella came out and told him to stay inside for the rest of the night, or he would catch a cold.

"No." Duff refused. "Ehm goin' te wait fer her te return, whether it takes te whole night, eh day, eh week, or if she don't come back at all…ehm nae movin' from tis spot. If te elders think her mission is over, they couldn' be more wrong. Her mission is over te day eh die."

"Duffaile, please. Ye can wait fer her te come home, but do so from te window in te castle. Yer goin' te get sick. An' ye 'ave te eat an' sleep…Duff she'll come home, eh promise ye. Knowin' Abby, she would never leave ye without sayin' goodbye first. C'mon."

Cathella took Duff by the arm and tried to hoist him up, but he wouldn't budge. She tried to get him to stand up a few more times, but he just stood as still and sturdy as if he was turned to stone. Eventually, Cathella had given up, and went back to the castle to retire for the night. She wanted to keep Bessie company, and try to hold off from telling her about Abby until they knew for sure.


	27. Angel, part 10

**Angel, part 10**

_Note: this is the final chapter for the Angel series, but not for the story. However, the next chapter of this Work in Progress most likely won't be updated for some time, for I will be working on other projects outside of FF. Thanks for reading and please review! I love to read them! _

_Rated R: language, of course, and sexual content _

The sun passed and the stars and moon came. Duff dreamed for endless hours of Abby flying through the night sky on her soft white wings, dancing through tiny jewels and lighting up his eyes. He dreamed of her lips, her tongue, her taste, her soft touch, her golden hair, her exotic eyes…but in reality Duff never took his eyes off that horizon. His eyes never shut. He stay awake all night, though his mind danced with insane and magical images. The moon passed and the stars disappeared, and the sun peeked out from under the horizon as if had just woken from a nice long nap and was ready to come out and shine for a new day.

It just dawned on him that there was a blanket covering his shoulders. Cathella must have put it over him in the middle of the night. He shrugged it off, along with the growing hunger pains in his stomach. His eyes were strained from being open all night. They were heavy and wanted to fall shut, but Duff pressured them to stay open. He could go another day if he needed to.

Duff caught a bird flying in the distance. It came out from the dawning sky. He couldn't make out what kind of bird it was. He watched its wings flap slowly, and it soared through the air gracefully. As it got closer and closer, it grew bigger, and Duff could see long gold hair flowing in the wind. It was Abby.

As she got nearer to the island, she dived down and landed on the shore. She was wearing a special kind of bra—the straps reached down to the small of her back and crossed in an X pattern, so it didn't cover any part of her wing tattoo and didn't interfere with her wings coming out. The bra was white, and she wore long white flowing pants and was barefoot. Duff stood up and stared at her. He was angry, he wanted to yell at her for not saying goodbye, for not telling him about possibly leaving, but he didn't.

Abby saw him and could immediately tell he had been sitting in that spot all night. She walked up to him and wasn't sure how to react. She was upset with not only Duff but with herself after last night, and when she got the call from the elders, she didn't have the courage to tell Duff, even though she knew she should have. He would have never forgiven her if she didn't come back.

Abby approached Duff and hugged him, after her wings melted back into ink form. She didn't have words but she knew she missed his comforting touch, and after hearing what the elders had to say, she needed it. Duff squeezed her hard against his body. He was afraid she wasn't going to come home.

"So this means they accepted eh trial? Eh 'ave hope?" Duff mumbled. He looked at her, still slightly angry that she didn't say anything to him. Abby was surprised that he knew about the trial, but she nod her head.

"I almost thought I wasn't going to be able to convince them. But I told them how far you've come, and they're willing to offer you a chance to show them that you are worthy."

"Why are they so worried tha' eh cannae keep eh secret?"

Abby looked into his eyes. "It's not just about keeping the secret. Come, let's go inside. You look terrible. Did you sleep out here?"

"No."

"Did you sleep at all?"

Duff looked away from her and shook his head. His eyes were red and surrounded by dark circles. She took him by the arm and walked him to the castle doors. She nearly had to drag him; he was like a broken dog limping from an endless night of being whipped.

When they got inside, she brought him to the couch and sat down with him. Duff's skin felt cold, and after being out all night he was most likely to fall ill, so Abby lit the fireplace and draped Cathella's wool blanket over him. She went to go make him a cup of tea, but when she came back into the living room with his mug, he had taken the blanket off.

"You can't possibly be warm." Abby handed him the tea, but he just rested it on the side table. Abby sat down next to him. She felt his arm…it was still cold, and his hairs were sticking up. She grabbed the blanket and tried to wrap him in it again, but he just shrugged her off.

"Duff…you're going to catch a cold if you haven't already. You need to stay warm."

"Eh don' want te blanket."

"Why?"

"Because eh want _ye_ te keep meh warm."

Abby looked at him. She was unsure of what to do. Duff glanced at her, huffed, and shook his head.

"An' eh know ye don' want te do tha'. Ye probably don' wan' te touch meh again. An' if eh cannae have ye te keep meh warm, then eh don' want no fuckin' blanket, eh'm fine as is, cold as ice, jus' like meh heart."

"Duff…" Abby felt bad that he was lashing out at her. She knew it wasn't her fault and he should apologize to her, but she knew how sensitive and hurt he was. She didn't blame him.

"Whut?" he snapped at her like a viper.

"Duff, I _do _love you, that's not a lie."

"Oh don' give meh tha' _shit_. Sure, ye love meh like eh brother or eh son or eh cousin or whutever…family, tha's te kind of love ye feel fer meh. Yer nae _in love _wit meh, an' don' tell meh ye are because eh can _feel _it. Nah…eh _can't _feel it, tha's te whole point. When eh kiss ye eh can feel ye holdin' back. Ye still feel guilty, eh get it. But don' tell meh yer in love wit meh because eh know yer still in love wit yer dead husband, an' eh can tell by te way ye touch or kiss meh tha' ye don' feel te same fer meh."

Abby had to look away from him. Tears filled her eyes, and it was because he was absolutely right, but she didn't want him to be.

"So now what? Do you want me to stay or not, because I can tell the elders right now and leave." Abby stood up. It seemed like ever since Duff found out about her secret, he resented her and picked on her for not loving him the same.

Duff paused to think. It struck him that losing Abby was not what he wanted…not at all. He felt sadness and frustration. He felt bad for yelling at Abby for such selfish reasons. He took her hand but she pulled it away.

"No…Abby, eh don' want ye te leave. Eh jus…" he sighed. "Eh jus' need ye in meh life, whether ye love meh er nae, an' all eh want in te world is fer ye te feel te same way abou' meh an' eh don' know how te make tha' happen."

Abby sniffed and continued to look away. Duff took her hand again. After a moment of staring into space, Abby sat down.

"I'm…tired." She said. Duff looked at her strangely. The way she said 'tired' was different than a normal tired. He tried joking with her.

"Tired? Ehm te one who didn' sleep."

"I didn't either, I was talking with the elders. But that's not what I mean. I'm tired of life. After looking back and remembering every single moment of my eternal soul and all my past lives, I just sometimes feel like life just reoccurs and repeats itself over and over again, and I think, is being a guardian really salvation? Was it worth living thousands of years just to get to this point? Or is there something greater that I still need to learn? You know what I mean? Like, is life really worth living?"

Duff just stared at her. It was odd hearing these words from Abby. It sounded like something _he _would be saying.

"Yer talkin' te the wrong lad. Ye know how many times eh've wanted te commit suicide?"

"I don't mean physical life, I mean deeper than that. Like the soul. Is it worth it being eternal and living so many different lives? It feels like in the end they're all the same."

"But eh guess te point is, ye gotte live as many lives as ye need in order te learn everythin' te universe has te offer."

"Yeah, but is learning about the universe and discovering its secrets worth the suffering that we go through so many lifetimes?"

"Eh couldn't tell ye. Ye've discovered eh lot more than eh have. Whut, ye don' think it's worth it te 'ave an eternal soul?"

"Sometimes I don't understand why life exists, despite everything I know and have learned, I've never been able to find an answer to that."

"Well if there's nae God, then who chose te give life? Is there an all-being?"

"It's just…spirit, and the natural order of things. No one _decided _that there should be living things on Earth, it just happened. Nature happened. Life started to appear in bacteria and plant form millions of years ago, but why?"

Abby fell on the couch and carried her head in her hands. Duff chuckled. "Eh guardian is questionin' te meanin' of life. Go figure."

Duff sat down next to her and took her hand and held it in his lap. "Eh used te ask mehself te same question. But now eh think tha' life is eh journey tha's nae about te end lesson but te journey itself. Eh think there's somethin' amazin' about te little miracles in life. An' they may er may nae have eh meanin' in te big universal lesson we're meant te learn, but eh don' care abou' tha. Ehm nae worried about bein' eh cockroach in meh next life time."

Abby smiled a little.

"Ehm worried abou' tis life. An' ehm worried about losin' ye, whether te elders take ye away or ye leave by yerself."

"I would never leave willingly."

"Nae after everythin' eh've done? Eh know eh haven't made things easy fer ye…ye know…in our relationship."

"You didn't do anything wrong."

"Eh know but eh've pressured ye an' eh shouldn't 'ave gone so forward without yer consent. Eh know ye don' love meh, heck, ye don' _look _at meh te way eh look at ye. Yer afraid te be physical with meh an' eh understand yer reasonin' an' ehm nae angry wit ye. Ye know how much eh want ye, an' eh shouldn't 'ave let tha' cloud meh mind. Eh make ye uncomfortable."

"Duff, you _know _I desire you…"

"Aye, but nae mentally."

"I…" she opened her mouth to protest, but Abby wasn't really sure how. She looked down and didn't say anything. She didn't want him to see her facial expression because he was right. Yes, she wanted him mentally, but she knew that the guilt would come to haunt her eventually, despite how much she tried to push it away and move on.

"…but eh can live wit te fact tha' ye don' swoon over meh an' yer nae head-over-heels. Whut eh can't live wit is te fact tha' eh might live te rest of meh life without ye."

Abby turned to face him and leaned against the back of the couch. She sighed deeply, and was finding it difficult to come up with the right words.

"Duff…there's something you need to know."

"Te last time eh heard tha' sentence, eh learned tha' ye might nae of came home. Now whut?"

Abby stared into the fireplace, hypnotized by the flames. "I explained to you before about reincarnation and moving up and down to higher and lower life forms. Usually the soul is tested after it has lived another life in the physical world, and the elders or whatever guardian is assigned to their hearing chooses if they move up or down a level and by how much, or if they remain neutral and are destined to live another chance at a similar life."

"Err…okay, so whut, they're goin' te read meh record of how many times eh've lived as bacteria or an insect an' judge me off o' tha'?"

"No…they're going to test you early. Instead of waiting for you to live another forty or fifty years or so to learn life's lessons, they are going to have a trial now. And instead of choosing your next form of life, they are going to choose whether I stay permanently with you and Bessie, or…" Abby stopped mid-sentence. She looked down and horror struck on her face at the thought of a possible alternative.

"Or…whut?"

"Or I leave, permanently…and all your memories of me are forgotten."

Duff felt steam boiling in his ears. "_Whut_?"

"You would be punished to lose all that I taught you and you would return to your old ways, like how you were before I came into your life, and you would have to learn on your own without guardian assistance. It would be like I never existed."

"An' Bessie?"

"Her too."

Duff stood up, fuming. He paced back and forth in front of the fireplace, flailing his arms in the air, yelling at the top of his steaming lungs. "Who te _fuck _do they think they are? They can' do tha'! An' whut did Bess ever do? Ye were assigned te _her _in te first place! She's jus' eh wee lass, all she ever wanted wus eh mother an' eh wus too much of eh jerk te women tha' she never had eh woman te look up te. Eh couldn' even hold eh relationship. All tis because eh know of their fuckin' secret?!"

"Shh…calm yourself. They do not like to be insulted, and they will not tolerate that at the trial. Sit down."

Duff puffed like the wolf that couldn't blow down a house. "If I leave, it doesn't mean you will live the rest of your life suffering. You would probably start from the beginning…hire a woman to help you raise Bessie and keep the castle in order, and maybe you would fall in love with her and Bessie would look up to her as a mother…"

"No," Duff interrupted. "Eh don' want te hear it. There is no _her, _there's no other possible woman. Yer nae leavin' us. Eh jus' can't go back te the way eh used te be. Nae after havin' ye in meh life. Eh don' care if eh won' remember anythin'. Now tha' eh see how meh life can be, how blessed eh can be fer havin' ye…eh jus'…can't go back, Abby. Eh can't. Eh can't suffer anymore. An' no one could 'ave helped meh but ye."

Abby took his hands. "This is my fault. I should have faked death…then you would have been able to remember everything I taught you."

"Taught meh? Abby please, yer nae eh fuckin' teacher. Eh know ye don' feel te same as whut eh feel, but no matter how hard eh try te contain it, ehm in love wit ye. Yer death would 'ave probably thrown meh inte insanity, or suicide. Eh wouldn' 'ave been able te handle it. Fer te moment eh thought ye were dead, eh could feel mehself losin' control. Eh wanted te cause harm te others, because in meh fucked-up mind, eh would 'ave needed te release meh grief fer ye through violence. Forgettin' ye would 'ave left meh wit eh better chance of hope than if eh had te suffer through losin' another person eh loved."

"Duff, I'm sorry."

"Whut are ye sayin' sorry fer? There's nuthin' te say sorry over. It's nae yer fault tha' ye couldn' fake yer death. Cathella told meh ye didn' think yer mission is over."

"My mission will never be over. I know you and Bess can't live without me. But I'm sorry I have no control over this. I don't know what's going to happen."

"All eh have te do is answer te questions right? Get an A double plus on te test?"

"It's not going to be your typical questioning."

"Well whut will they ask meh?"

"I…can't tell you."

Duff stared at her for a moment with a blank expression. "Whut dye mean ye can't tell meh?"

"If I told you or prepared you for the trial in any way, the elders would know and they wouldn't give you a chance. They want to know what you have to say without guardian help."

Duff couldn't process the thought in his mind. How was he supposed to know what they were going to ask? He knew absolutely nothing about this spiritual world Abby lived in. He knew nothing about souls or reincarnation…this was the first time in his life he even thought about anything greater than humanity. He didn't have enough hope growing up to believe in a god or even guardian angels. He figured that if they existed, he wouldn't have lost his family.

"Is there _anythin' _ye can tell meh?"

"Just…" Abby took his hand and held it tightly. "Just think simply. The soul and the trials haven't changed since the beginning of time. I'm sorry if I confused you with everything I have tried to explain, but the idea isn't as complicated as it sounds. Do you understand?"

"Nae really."

Duff and Abby stared at each other. Abby didn't know what to say. She _couldn't _say anything.

"Abby…am eh goin' te lose ye?" Duff mumbled. Before, he let his anger fill him, and he knew he wouldn't let anyone take Abby away. He wasn't going to let her leave, no matter who stood in his way. Now, for the first time, he felt hopeless.

Abby didn't answer. Duff knew she felt scared for him. He could tell she was afraid that he wouldn't pass the trial. She wasn't sure if he was ready for the elders yet. He could see the doubt in her eyes. She knew that he could see right through her, so she looked away from him.

Before Duff could say another word, Abby kissed him on the cheek. Duff was relaxed from having felt her soft lips again. He missed them.

Duff was surprised that she kissed him, even if it was just on the cheek. He thought she didn't want to touch him again. Duff then remember about their episode last night, and how bad he felt for ignoring her pleads to stop.

"Eh want te apologize fer last night. Eh thought ye were jokin' when ye said ye didn' want meh, but at te same time eh knew ye were bein' serious. Ehm jus' so used te women sayin' no but as eh game. Eh shouldn' 'ave put so much pressure on ye."

"No…Duff…I enjoyed it. But you know why I…"

"Eh know. Tha' doesn't make whut eh did okay. Ye were there fer meh as eh friend, when eh first met ye. Ehm nae bein' eh friend te ye. Ehm more like te cranky, demandin' boyfriend."

Abby smirked a little. "Boyfriend?"

"Err…ehm nae sure whut exactly eh would label our relationship as, but eh didn' mean…"

"I know." Abby interrupted. "I know what you meant. It was an amusing thought: you…me…boyfriend and girlfriend…we sound like we're back in high-school."

"Eh wish eh wus yer high school sweetheart." Duff mumbled. Abby looked up at him and blushed. She didn't know what to say for a while, so Duff thought it was his turn to break the peace.

"So when is te trial?" he asked lowly. He didn't want to think about the trial, but at the same time he wanted it over with.

"Tomorrow." Abby replied.

Duff looked up at her, bright-eyed. He didn't know it would be so soon. He wasn't prepared. He had less than twenty four hours before he might lose Abby forever.

"Whut?" he stood up. "They can' push it back any further?"

"No, they want to make a decision immediately."

Duff stretched his arms and held his head. He paced back and forth, frantically. Abby got up and held him in one place.

"You stayed up all last night. You need your rest."

"Whut? No! It's mornin'…ehm spendin' meh last possible day wit _ye_! Ehm sure as hell nae goin' te spend it sleepin'!"

Abby sighed. She could tell he really was tired, but was just forcing himself to stay awake. "Well what would you like to do?"

Duff thought for a moment, but he didn't need to think long before a thought popped into his head.

"Eh want te take ye out on eh date."

"A date?" Abby looked surprised.

"Aye, eh full-blown romantically-planned date." Duff looked pleased with himself for coming up with the perfect idea, but also a little mischievous.

"Okay, that would be nice." Abby smiled. "But first, you are taking a nap."

"Whut? No—" Duff tried to protest, but Abby soon shut him down in her motherly scolding manner.

"Don't start with me. By the time we have dinner you'll be drowning in your soup. You need to sleep just for a few hours, and then we can stay up later tonight."

"But—"

"No _no no no no_. Don't argue. Thank you but I am not interesting in going on a date with a zombie." She pushed him towards the stairs.

"Abby ehm fine. Ye know meh…eh've stayed up far past twenty-four hours."

"Yeah, and how crabby and frustrated were you after that? How many gallons of coffee did you have to drink to keep you awake? If there's one thing that turns me off, it's coffee breath. Let me put it to you this way: I refuse to go on a date with you until you sleep."

Duff knew she wasn't going to budge. But how could he show her, how could he make her understand that he wanted to spend every last possible minute he had left with her? She might be gone twenty four hours from now. Gone _forever_. Duff would much rather be with her for eight hours than catch up on his sleep. He would rather endure the worst pain he could think of for eight hours than to lose that time with her. But Abby pulled him up the stairs and walked with him into his bedroom. She sat down on the edge of his bed and Duff sat down with her. He gazed into her eyes and felt vulnerable. There was nothing he could do to prepare for this trial. There was nothing he could do to make her stay with him and Bessie. He had no power against the elders and their decisions. His heart ached, and he could feel Abby drifting away from him already. He feared the worst and he couldn't bear it. His eyes itched and stung with tears.

"Hey…" Abby tried to calm him with her soothing voice. She wasn't sure why exactly he was upset, but she could guess. She placed a hand on his face and felt the spiky hairs of his beard. Duff didn't know how to express the words he wanted to say. He tried to think of what he wanted to say if they were his last, and he couldn't fathom the idea. He wanted to kiss Abby passionately. He wanted to express himself through the love he felt for her, but he knew she didn't want that. Duff felt frustrated, not being able to love her the way he wanted. He couldn't find words and just babbled nonsense. He stammered the words that tried to come out, but they just came chopped up like he decided to change them after he started to speak. He felt his mind racing out of control and he couldn't hold on to one thought. He just needed Abby to stay, and never in his life had he ever felt like he couldn't win no matter how hard he fought back.

Abby wrapped her arms around Duff's shoulders and hugged him tightly. Duff embraced her and immediately lost it. He sniffed and couldn't help but let the tears fall from his eyes. He couldn't remember the last time he cried. He wrapped his arms around her waist and let every inch of her body connect with his.

"Shh…it's okay, Duff. I'm here." Abby cooed. She rubbed the back of his head and massaged the back of his neck.

"No…it's nae alright. Ehm gonna lose ye, ehm nae goin' te remember ye. Eh need ye in meh life. Eh can't live meh life without ye, whut part of tha' don' yer elders understand? It's their way of punishin' meh again fer somethin' eh did eh lifetime ago?"

"Duff, please, it's going to be—"

Duff took her face in his hands and looked at her in the eye. He was so serious and almost angry that is scared Abigail a little.

"Abby…eh _need _ye. Ehm nae goin' back te livin' eh life without ye. Eh've been in too much pain already, ehm nae goin' through it again. If they tell meh they're takin' ye away eh'll kill mehself right there."

Abby's eyes widened a little. She wanted to believe that he would never do that, but she knew that he most certainly would. She could see in his eyes that he was at the end of the line. He couldn't take any more.

"But what about Bessie, she needs you—"

Duff's grip on her became tighter. "Eh've had enough pain, Abby. Eh've had enough. Eh don' expect ye te understand, eh don' expect Bess te understand, but eh can't go through te pain anymore. It's nae worth livin'."

"Oh, Duff…" Abby gently placed her hands over his. "Life is always going to be a struggle. If you give up your life now, you'll just start all over, and the struggle might be worse the next time. You've already come so far. Look at all the obstacles you've overcome…look at how strong you've become. I'll always be watching over you, even if the elders do reassign me to another mission. I understand the pain but please don't give up on your daughter, or she's going to be alone, just how you were when you lost Carol. Fight every battle that comes your way in every lifetime…that's what determines a precious soul. Learn to _survive_."

Abby wiped away a tear that came trickling down Duff's cheek. "I'm sorry…I'm sorry I couldn't leave you. I'm sorry they want to take me away from you but have _hope_." She looked at him and felt her heart break from seeing him so emotional. She's never seen him cry in front of her, she could tell his heart was breaking too. She embraced him again and wasn't too sure what to do or say to take the pain from him. He held her close and tried to pull himself together for her. He felt embarrassed to just let go, but at the same time Duff knew that she was one of the only people he could open up to.

"Why don't you get some sleep…you'll feel better after you've rested." Abby whispered. She helped Duff lay down on his bed and took off his shoes, then covered him with a thin blanket. "Just relax…breathe. Try and think about what we're going to do on our date later." Duff felt himself calming down, just being able to focus on Abby and how he wanted to spend his last moments with her before the trial. Abby leaned over and kissed his cheek, and he could feel her warmth spread through his body. "You don't need to sleep a full eight hours, just take a nap. That's all I'm asking."

Before she walked away, Duff took her hand and squeezed it. She looked back at him and his eyes screamed and begged for her to help him and take the pain away somehow. Abby looked at him with sad eyes, unsure of how she can keep him from feeling so hopeless. Eventually Duff let go of her hand, and Abby shut the lights off and closed the door behind her as she walked out.

Abby took the time to speak with Bessie. The poor girl didn't know about the trial and that Abby might leave forever. Abby didn't know how she was going to say it or make Bessie understand. She didn't want to break her heart, but she knew Bess was delicate about having a mother and always being left without one.

Abby found her in her room. She was lying down in bed and writing in what looked like a journal or a diary. Abby sat down on the bed next to her.

"Hey, Bess. What's that you're writing?"

"It's meh diary. Eh know daddy 'as one, and he told meh it's important te write down an' express stuff tha' happens in meh life. He says eh want meh children an' their children an' all te Killigans te come te hear meh story an' remember meh even if they didn' know meh. He says it's important te 'ave eh legacy an' fer our fam te stick together an' know each other. He _also _says tha' expressin' mehself is good fer meh."

Abby smiled. "Do you think you'll ever marry one day and have children?"

"Eh'd like te, but eh don' think eh ever will."

"Well why's that?"

Bessie closed her diary and set it to the side. "Eh never go out. Ehm stuck in tis big ol' castle on an' island, ehm homeschooled, an' eh never go te the mainland. Eh don' even _know _any boys. Eh 'ave no friends."

"I know it's hard to live in such an isolated home. But I'll talk to your father about bringing you to the mainland more often. I know he has his reasons; people know you are his daughter, and they might not treat you with respect because they don't like your father and the things he's done. But when you're older you'll have the freedom to go wherever in the world you want…you just have to remember to be careful…_especially _when it comes to boys."

"Eh know, eh know, daddy always tells me never te date eh boy tha' reminds meh of him."

Abby laughed. "That's very good advice."

Bessie smiled, but in a way she looked sad. She lowered her eyes and wouldn't look at Abby.

"Is everything okay? You don't look too happy." Abby asked.

"Daddy's been very sad lately…an' distant."

"Oh…yes, but I'm working on that."

"Why is he so sad?" Bessie looked up at her now. She was suspicious.

Abby sighed and took Bessie's small hands. "Now…listen, Bess…you've grown up to be such a strong young lady…"

Bessie gasped loudly and started to shout and cry. "Yer _leavin',_ aren't ye!"

Abby tried to defend herself but the girl kept yelling. "Abby how could ye _do _this? Please stay! Don' listen' te whut daddy says, yer eh _beautiful _angel!"

"Shh..your father is sleeping. We don't want to wake him. Listen I don't know what's going to happen…and it's not because of your father. The people that I work for…the people who sent me to you…they want me to return. _They're _the ones who are trying to take me away. But we're going to _fight_. Okay? They are going to talk to Duff tomorrow. He's going to fight for the both of you."

"_Eh _want te go! Eh'll give em eh piece of meh mind! They're nae takin' ye away!"

"Shhhhh, Bess, be quiet. Lower your voice, please."

Bessie started to sob. She turned from Abby and buried herself in her pillow. Abby could hear her muffled cries. "Of all dad's girlfriends eh never thought ye'd be te one te go. Eh thought ye'd get married an' ye'd be meh Ma…an' eh'd have eh brother or eh sister an' we'd finally be eh happy fam. Daddy's never loved eh woman before. He's never felt such happiness before in his life…ye single-handedly gave tha' te him! An' ye've made _meh _happy too!"

"Bess, you have to understand. Your father and I…aren't a couple. I know of his feelings for me…but you have to understand that I was _sent _to you…on a _mission_. I was _meant _to make the two of you happy, and now they're taking me to make _another _family happy, too. This is my job. It's _been _my job for centuries. I don't want to leave, and there's a chance I might not. But if I do I want you to know that I didn't leave for selfish reasons. Duff didn't push me away, I'm not leaving you…I'll _always _be watching over you, and I'll make sure that every day you live is blessed with my love."

Tears rolled down Bessie's cheeks. "All eh ever wanted wus eh family, Abby."

"And you _have _one…your father is your family. Not everyone in the world has a mom and a dad and siblings. No family is perfect. But you can grow and choose to make your family bigger. You can be a mother to your own child. You can have as many children as you want!" she took Bessie's hands and overdramatically expressed her vision. "I can see it now…the charming husband that makes your father want to pull his hair out, because he is so perfect, six little Bessie's running around the castle driving their grandfather nuts…it's in the cards. I see it."

Bessie smiled a little. It's what she wanted, more than anything.

"I will always be your mother. Just don't think that because I'm not around that I'm not _there_. I mean…technically, I'm already _dead_, so…"

Bessie easily held back the giggle that hid in her throat. She was too overwhelmed by sadness and grief. She felt like she was mourning Abby's death, even though she stood right in front of her. "But why dye 'ave te leave?"

"The elders…"

"Eh _know _tha'…bu'…_why_?" Abby realized it wasn't a question Bessie wanted an answer from. The girl continued to sob and Abby hugged her close. "Eh've lost everythin'…eh can't lose ye too!"

"And what have you lost?" Abby asked. She didn't believe that Bessie truly had her life taken from her as she thought.

"Meh Ma left meh jus' after eh wus born…an' dad never had eh girlfriend tha' either wunted te be meh Ma or loved us enough te stick around…

"Hey." Abby lifted her chin and looked at her straight in the eye. "I love you. I love you _infinitely. _You know that, don't you? You know this is out of my control."

Bessie nodded her head and tears rolled down her cheeks. She tried hard to fight them back.

"You won't lose me. I'll always be with you."

"But nae physically." Bessie cried.

"Spiritual presence can be a strong thing if the connection is close, which it is." Abby took her hands. "I'll bet you that our connection is so great, you'll be able to _see _my spirit. You have a special gift, Bessie. You have an open heart and an open mind, which is not something many people have. If you set your heart and soul to see and feel me with you, you can do it."

"Kinda like eh superhero?"

Abby smiled. "Exactly like a superhero." She hugged Bessie tightly and the girl mumbled into her breast.

"It wouldn' be te same if eh can' feel yer hugs an' kisses ehgain."

Abby stroked her charcoal hair. "I'll make sure your father makes up for that." Abby felt bad lying to her. She knew that if Duff lost the trial, he and Bess would forget her and everything she ever taught them. Bessie would forget about having a mother and someone who loves her and watches over her. Everything would be back to the beginning. Bessie would be lonely and would continue to be raised by an angry, alcoholic, depressed man who couldn't learn on his own that he should stop looking for love with a woman and focus on the love he already has for his daughter. Abby started to cry. How could she let this happen? She couldn't allow the Killigan family to slip through her fingers and go back to sadness. Duff _needed _to win.

Bessie noticed Abby's red, wet eyes. "Why ye cryin', Abby?"

"I'm just sorry…I can't stay."

Bessie looked down, then hugged her again. "It's okay. Eh know it's nae yer fault. Eh think eh understand now."

"What do you understand?" Abby sniffed and wiped under her eyes before tears got a chance to fall.

"Maybe ehm nae meant te 'ave eh Ma. Nae everyone has eh Ma, like ye said. It would be nice te 'ave eh Ma in te fam…cus' ye know daddy can' teach meh _everythin' _eh growin' lassie needs. But he's always told meh our fam is nae perfect. It hasn't been fer generations. _He _grew up wit eh Ma an' grandma Belle got taken away too. _His _fam wusn' perfect, an' when he had meh, even though things 'ave been difficult fer him an' he made eh lot of mistakes, eh know he loves meh an' he would do anythin' fer meh, an' he's already done so much te try an' keep his childhood from repeatin' onte meh. Meh Ma left meh, an' eh've always been kinda selfish, askin' Daddy te get married an' find meh another Ma, but he's struggled so much te find love an' sometimes eh feel like if eh hadn't asked him so much he wouldn' 'ave 'ad his heart broken so many times. An' then ye came along…an' he wusn't lookin' te date ye or anythin' or marry ye…he wusn' lookin' te find love but he did. Eh think all eh really wanted wus meh Pa te find love, nae te 'ave eh mother. Eh know it would be nice, but if he wusn' happy or in love, it wouldn't 'ave mattered if eh had eh Ma or not."

"Bess…you are a miracle." Abby smiled and tears came rushing down her cheeks like waterfalls. "Your heart is as big and strong as this castle. You are so smart and…I just…" Abby sobbed and laughed at the same time. "Your father would be so proud of you and happy to hear you say that. He's felt so bad…"

"Eh know he has. But love can't be made. Eh realize tha' now. We're blessed te find love."

"Oh, Bess…" Abby couldn't believe how much Bessie has grown as a young woman. She was so young and she was as wise as if she was twice her age. Abby finally felt like she had completed the mission she was sent to do. She felt like even though Bessie still wanted her in her life, she didn't _need _her anymore, and she was strong and independent. She was able to acknowledge and understand all the hardships she went through and she had finally come to terms with her father's pain and struggle. She had forgiven him. Abby knew that even if the clock turned back and Bessie had to live the past year over again without a guardian by her side, she would find her strength. Duff, on the other hand, was still a poor little puppy dog in Abby's mind. She felt like no matter what he needed her. He didn't have the inner strength to find peace on his own. She was afraid for his soul.

After talking with Bessie, Abigail stayed in her room for the night and found herself a little bored. With Duff sleeping and Bessie writing, she didn't have anything else to occupy herself with. Seamus was even sleeping, and she didn't feel up to playing games with a sea monster. Abby soon realized that she _too _was tired, and decided to take a nap, since she would be up later that night on her 'date'. She didn't want to be a sleepy zombie, either.

Abby lay down on her bed. It was queen-sized so she could stretch out and relax. It was still a little light out; the sun had not yet set so sunshine filled her room. Even though the lights were out, the curtains were light and nearly see-through, so they didn't help. Abby turned the opposite way but she could still see light through her eyelids. She felt too energized to sleep so early. She was used to staying up all day and nearly all night to watch over Duff and Bessie until _they _went to bed, and they had completely opposite sleep patterns. Abby closed her eyes and remembered the feeling of dying and 'seeing the light'. In her most recent life, she remembered being in the hospital with her son and daughter. They were there by her side when she passed. She remembered thinking of her husband and how she would be with him for eternity, but at the same time she was extremely scared. She felt like she was going to die of a heart attack because she had so much fear of losing her life. And she wasn't too sure if she believed in reincarnation or not, so Abby was afraid of the end…but it wasn't the end. She would have never expected to become a guardian, or even that they _existed_. In a way, she wished that her soul would be set free in an infinite space where her soul and her husband's soul could be together for the rest of time. When he died, in her past life Abby felt like her heart had ripped in half and one part of it dissolved, never to be healed. She cried every day for the longest time, and she was in a way depressed for the rest of her life. He was her everything, and life without him soon became nothing. Abby started to cry thinking about him. She missed him, but she knew his soul lived in another being right now, but she had no way of knowing what human or animal he had become.

She was so caught up in thinking about her past husband that Abby didn't notice her door was open. She lifted herself up and saw Duff standing in the doorway, shyly. He looked sad, and she couldn't tell if it was because he saw her crying, or because he was thinking about the trial.

"I thought you were supposed to be sleeping…" Abby asked. She quickly wiped the tears from her eyes, as if she thought Duff wouldn't realize she was crying if he didn't see the tears on her cheeks.

"Eh can' sleep." Duff mumbled and looked down. He continued to linger behind the door, like he was a vampire that wasn't invited in.

"Why can't you sleep?" Abby sniffed.

"Ehm…lonely."

Duff and Abby looked at each other and seemed to read each other's thoughts. It took a few minutes for either of them to say anything more. Duff knew that Abby knew that he meant 'lonely' in more ways than one.

Duff found the courage to enter the room. He didn't close the door behind him, but he sat down on Abby's bed.

"Eh can' sleep knowin' tha' these las' few hours eh have wit ye may be meh last. Ehm tired, ehm so tired eh have eh fuckin' headache but no matter how hard eh try te relax eh keep thinkin' of ye. If its goin' te be another twelve hours er so tha' ehm goin' te be wit ye fer te trial, ehm nae goin' te waste it by sleepin'. Eh'd gladly stay up another full night jus' te 'ave ye by meh side if eh can." Duff started to tear up as well. "An' ehm so lonely, Abby. Eh feel it already."

"I'm here, you're not alone." Abby whispered. She held the side of his face in the palm of her hand.

"Eh tried thinkin' about our date…an' eh asked mehself whut do eh want te do wit ye if this is te last time ehm goin' te be wit ye an'….an' eh jus' feel like there's too much an' nae enough time…an' our relationship isn't at eh good place, so most of te things eh would want us te do ye wouldn't want, an' eh jus'…don't have _time_…eh expected eh _lifetime _wit ye…"

"What do you mean our relationship isn't at a good place?" Abby stroked his cheek and felt his hot tears burn her fingers.

"Oh ye know whut eh mean, Abby…eh wunt te _be _wit ye…physically…ye know tha'. An' yer nae ready fer tha'. Eh don' think ye'll ever be. Eh want so much fer us but it's all jus'…" Duff sighed. "..Eh fantasy."

Abby just looked at him. She watched his facial expressions and to see if they changed. Duff just stared at the floor, disappointed, scared, hopeless, but his eyes lit up as he thought about his desire for Abby. She wasn't sure what exactly he was talking about, or she was too shy to think about what Duff obviously meant.

As if Duff knew exactly what Abby was thinking, he said it out in the open: "Eh want te make love te ye." He looked up at her and looked into her eyes. He didn't say it suggestively, but as a statement that he knew she knew but was too afraid to say. "An'…eh know ye don' want te same. But whut eh'd like te do before…tomorrow, is tha' if ehm goin' te sleep, eh wunt ye te sleep _wit meh_. An' eh don' mean like sex…sure, eh'd love tha', but eh mean tha' eh wunt te hold ye in meh arms, eh wunt us te cuddle an' fall asleep together. Eh wunt te hold ye all night an' nae let ye go, an eh want te sunshine te come through te window an' wake us in peace, an' eh open meh eyes an' ye open yer eyes an' we're lookin' at each other, an' we smile, an' kiss each other good mornin'. Tha's whut eh want more than anythin'. Eh want _one _moment where eh feel like…_ehm _yer husband…an' we're happy, an' we love each other, an' we 'ave eh family…eh want _one _moment where tha' fantasy seems real."

Abby's gaze softened. She stroked his cheek even more gently. Part of her felt uncomfortable, but something strange came over her, and without thinking she leaned in and softly kissed his lips. She gripped his jaw with a bit of pressure. Duff weaved his fingers through her hair and kissed her back. He didn't want to use too much force or be too passionate or intense, because he knew that's when she started to feel uncomfortable. Duff grazed her lips with caution, like he was afraid of scaring the bird away when all he wanted to do was feed it.

Abby grabbed him by the shoulders and pulled him down to the bed with her. Duff was a little surprised, but still unsure of where she wanted to go and where the no-zone was.

"Fine. I want you to sleep. If you're not going to do it alone then I'll sleep _with you_." Abby got up to close the door then she hid under the covers. Duff had to dig under the sheets to find her like a buried treasure. He grabbed her, gently, and pulled her body close until it was connected to his. He put one arm around her and the other over her hip. Abby turned to him; as Duff stroked her back, and his hand creeped under her shirt to feel her bare skin, Abby meant to rest her head on his chest, but by the way their bodies were aligned in height, she found her nose bumping into his chin.

Abby looked up at him, and he looked down. Their lips were perfectly angled to fit into each other like a puzzle, yet they were a couple inches apart. Abby felt relaxed. She wasn't thinking of her past husband anymore, and she didn't have any guilty anxieties. Because, in a way, she was scared for the trial, and she was scared that this _was _going to be their last time together. She knew she had feelings for Duff. She knew she loved him, but to what extent was always the question. The way she hurt to see him cry sparked something new in her mind. And to think that he might go back to the way he used to be broke Abby's heart. She felt something new that she hadn't really realized before. She couldn't identify it…it was like she felt that she needed him as much as he needed her. She missed being loved by someone, and living a normal life. She was tired of missions and guardian duties. She didn't want to feel like she had lost her humanity. She had the same pain thinking about leaving Duff, as she felt when she betrayed her love in her past life. It broke her heart the same way. When she looked into Duff's eyes, she felt like she was lost forever, trapped in them.

Duff closed the gap between their lips and gave her another light kiss. He was playing his moves safe, but he felt like Abby was doing okay in the comfort department. She closed her eyes and seemed to be taking in the moment. Duff decided to close his eyes too, for now that he was lying down in bed with Abby he felt relaxed and a wave of tiredness washed over him. His body seemed to suddenly become aware that it lacked half a day of sleep. He rested his head on top of Abby's, and almost immediately he fell asleep, but not before feeling Abby's lips on his.

A few hours later Duff woke. The sun was setting and Abby's window faced the west, so the bright sunlight brought him back to consciousness. He didn't feel dazed or sleepy or too tired to wake. He felt refreshed and completely aware. He soaked in Abby's room. The first thing he noticed was how fresh and clean the sheets felt, but at the same time he was warm and cozy. For once in a long time he felt happy. He noticed the pleasure of the simplest things, like how energizing the room smelt. As he looked around the room, Duff realized that Abby had nearly no belongings besides clothes. There were no books, no art, no pictures or memoirs. He knew she didn't bring a lot with her when she first moved in, but she didn't seem to buy anything for herself all those times she traveled off the island for groceries and other supplies. He wanted to buy her something. A gift…anything…but he didn't know what she liked. He remembered that he really knew hardly anything about her interests, all the time he's known her. They never talked about the simple details of their personalities. Duff also remembered the trial, and how he may not get the chance to even know what Abby's favorite color was.

Duff was so comfortable he could barely tell where his body ended and Abby's body started. He couldn't feel her at first, because he thought she was a part of him too. He could feel her lips on his chest. They were warm. He lifted her chin and brought her lips up close to his. By the time Abby woke up, he was already kissing her. Abby kept her eyes closed and blissfully kissed him back. Her hands glided up his chest, feeling his warm skin, running through his course chest hair. She felt the muscles on his arms as a blind woman feels a man for the first time. They exchanged simple, gentle, yet passionate kisses for some time until Duff paused to catch his breath. He pulled Abby as close as he possibly could and she held onto him so tightly nothing could pull her off.

"Abby…" Duff moaned. "Eh don' want te leave this bed."

"Are we going to spend our date in bed then?"

"Eh want te spend te rest of meh life in tis bed wit ye 'ere."

"That's a pretty lazy life." Abby joked.

"Nae when it feels this amazin'." Duff gave her another long, deep kiss. "Eh don' remember te last time eh wus this happy."

Duff was about to lean in and kiss her again when he heard gurgling sounds coming from Abby's stomach.

"I guess you'll need to hire another servant to bring us food so we don't starve trying to spend our lives in bed."

Duff knew he had to get up. He was starting to get a little hungry too once he thought about it. He searched for a clock in the room…it was near six thirty. Duff moaned, kicked the sheets off his legs and jumped off the bed. He ran over to Abby's side and tickled her. Surprised, she squirmed and kicked and giggled and screamed.

"Get up, lassie. Get ready, we should leave soon. It's gettin' late." Duff laughed as he continued to wriggle his fingers against her sides.

"Leave? We're not eating dinner here?" Abby playfully tried to push him off, but to no avail. Instead of tickling her more, Duff grabbed her and picked her up. He held her under her back and legs and acted as if he was going to carry her.

"Nope…ehm goin' te take ye te the mainland. We'll 'ave dinner there."

"Will we have time?" Abby looked up at him.

"If ye get ready quick enough we will."

"Okay, okay, well maybe if you let me _down_ I could start."

Duff instantly let go of her and she squished back onto the bed. Abby landed belly-first onto the mattress. She hoisted onto her hands and knees to get up, and to her utter surprise she felt a hard smack on her butt. She gasped and looked behind her only to see and hear Duff giggling and running out her bedroom door.

It was about seven o'clock. Duff stared at himself in the mirror. The bathroom was steamy after taking a boiling five minute shower. His beard was clean-cut and freshly shaven. His teeth were minty and sparkling, and his entire body was doused with cologne. He closed his face in on the mirror to inspect his skin for any blemishes or to check if his eyebrows were overgrown. Duff couldn't help but stare at the countless scars that covered his chest and arms. If it weren't for the large round cigar burns, he would have felt perfectly confident. His upper torso was bulging with muscles, but Duff never considered himself sexy because of his scars. He knew that his scars meant that he was strong enough to overcome the abuse his father gave him, but there were so many, and it overwhelmed the idea of strength. Duff didn't feel strong whenever he looked in the mirror. He felt like an wimp. He should have never let his father burn him. He should have stood up to him, or fought back, or done something to defend himself. But all he did was take it, because he thought he had done something wrong and was being punished for it. He just hid it from his mother and cried as soon as he closed his bedroom door.

Duff shook his childhood memories away. He didn't want to feel depressed right before taking Abby out on their first date together. He should have been depressed, certainly, but for other reasons.

Duff didn't want to think about Abby leaving. It was possible that she was going to stay, but Duff always feared the worst, that way when the worst happens, he's already started to get used to the misery and it doesn't come as such a shock. He realized far too many times that when bad things come unexpectedly, they hurt a lot more than if you expect it sooner. Duff wanted to pretend tonight that there was no trial tomorrow, though. He wanted to pretend that he had a bright and happy future ahead of him with Abby by his side. He wanted to pretend that he was in love and no one was going to get in his way.

Duff decided to put his shirt on. It was a clean, wrinkle-free white cotton button-down. It reminded Duff of Abby's sheets. He smiled and remembered how good it felt to sleep with Abby in his arms and to wake up with her lips within kissing distance. He knew that Abby didn't mind his scars, and she thought of them as marks of courage. Duff wanted to feel Abby's lips on his chest, kissing and healing every single one. But for now, he needed to look proper for dinner, and a naked torso, scarred or not, was certainly improper.

Duff got on his pleated pants and fancy leather shoes, took a deep breath and walked out of the bathroom. He went downstairs to get his essentials—wallet, phone, and keys to the boat that would take them across shore. He waited for Abby to finish getting ready and meet him downstairs. He kept checking his watch…it was seven-o-five. They needed to leave so as not to get to the mainland too late, and have enough time to eat and get back before morning. Duff figured they would be out all night.

He was too occupied thinking how women take too long to get ready, Duff didn't notice Abby come down the stairs.

"You look very dashing." She commented.

Duff turned his head and felt his jaw drop a little. He felt like for the first time he's ever seen her, Abby looked _hot_, and his eyes nearly melted. Her hair was let down loose, as usual, but it had a silkier shine too it. She played with her makeup and had sexy, smoky eyes and her lips looked even more plump and sultry than usual with the help of a rose colored lipstick, Duff guessed. Rather than wearing a loose, casual outfit, she wore a hip-hugging nude pencil skirt, nude stiletto heels, and a sleek white button-down similar to his, but it looked a _lot _sexier on her. It wasn't skin-tight, yet it accentuated the curves of her waist and breasts. Her bare legs looked silky smooth and Duff wanted nothing more than to feel and kiss them. The images that played in his head turned Duff on. He officially didn't want to leave the castle.

"Is my outfit that bad?" Abby asked. "You're staring at me like I'm an alien…again."

"Why te hell don' ye dress like tis more often?" Duff replied, in a sarcastic harsh tone. "Today ye decide te become eh vixen? Why couldn't ye 'ave done this months ago?"

"Because I wasn't comfortable dressing like this months ago, and frankly I don't feel very comfortable now." Abby looked away, embarrassed.

"Oh, don' start tis again." Duff remembered the last time Abby looked sexy in one of his family's Scottish tartans that she found hidden in one of the castle rooms. She was upset after Duff spit out and nearly choked on his coffee after seeing her walk in the kitchen wearing it. That day they were celebrating a Scottish holiday, and she refused to take place during the festivities. Bessie got upset as a result, and Duff had to convince her that not only was she beautiful, but that he considered her a part of the Killigan family and deserved to wear the tartan.

"Abby, ye look _sexy_…an' tha's eh good thing in meh book. There's nuthin' te be ashamed of."

"I guess I've always been shy of standing out or drawing attention to myself." Abby looked down. She remembered her past lives, and how color was never really on her wardrobe palette.

"Why nae? Ye deserve it. There's nuthin' wrong with bein' beautiful. Are ye afraid of people bein' jealous of ye?"

Abby shook her head.

"Are ye afraid of people bein' sexually attracted te ye?"

Abby thought for a moment. "I don't know. Maybe."

Duff remembered what she had been through in her past life. Maybe after being disloyal, she chose not to attract the attention of other men.

"Abby…" Duff walked closer. He put his hands on her hips and pulled her closer. "There's nuthin' wrong wit feelin' beautiful. Eh promise ye tha'. Dressin' like this shouldn' make ye feel guilty, it should make ye feel confident. There's eh difference between lookin' like Jessica Rabbit an' lookin' like eh porn star." Duff's hands slithered down to her butt and he playfully squeezed. He leaned into her ear and whispered "Though tha' would be nice…"

Abby lightly smacked his chest a couple times. "Ooh, get off of me you! After smacking me earlier, if I get to stay after the trial you're _not_ going to see skin for the rest of your days!"

"We'll see about tha'…" Duff chuckled and tried to grab her again. Abby screamed and swatted at him to stay away, but he took her by the hips and pulled her to his chest again. He kissed her passionately, and picked her up, holding her under the butt and forcing her to wrap her legs around him. He wouldn't let her down. Duff held Abby against him like they were magnets. Abby was appalled at the way he took her. She was out of breath, gasping for air for her heart beat fast like she just ran a mile. Duff got his chance to feel how smooth her legs were. As one hand supported under her, with his other hand he ran up and down her inner thigh alternating between his fingertips and his entire hand. As he kissed her harder, Duff got very heated and felt further and further up her leg. Abby gasped at the point where he started to rub against her underwear.

Duff looked up at her. Abby looked down at him, her eyes wide yet in a way mesmerized and hazy.

"…are we ever going to leave?" Abby whispered. Duff could tell Abby wanted to be touched, but she also was hungry and wanted her last evening with him to be at least a _little _romantic. And, when Duff thought about it, he didn't want her last memory of him to be a sexual one. He wanted to show her how he loved her, and not just physically.

Duff let her down and helped her straighten out her skirt. He kissed her again, but lightly this time. "Sorry…eh got carried away…as usual." He mumbled. Abby took his hand.

"It's okay…really." The way she looked at him told Duff that her guilty feelings had faded almost completely. She _wanted _him. She was turned on just by his one-second touch. Duff felt like carrying her upstairs and throwing her onto his bed, but he restrained himself. Maybe, just maybe, if he was good, he could have his dessert after he's had his dinner.

They left the castle and headed towards the shore where Duff docked his boats. Duff helped Abby step onto one of his fast motored cruisers. She sat down on one of the cushioned benches while Duff started the motor and drove out of dock and into the Atlantic towards the shore of the Scottish Highlands.

During the short ride, Duff thought about their moment earlier. He remembered feeling how damp she felt. The memory turned him on again. He looked over at Abby who was staring out into the sea, her hair wildly blowing in the wind. He wanted to stop the boat and take her now. He wanted to make love to her and rock to the waves crashing against the side of the vessel. He imagined driving the boat and surprisingly feel Abby's hands _down there_. He wanted her to feel how turned on she made him. He wanted her to take it out and taste him. He wanted to feel the warmth of her greedy, willing mouth.

Duff felt guilty thinking these things. He couldn't help being a dirty guy, after living such a sexually active life for so long. No matter what Duff always considered Abby an innocent virgin, even though he knew she wasn't…at least not in her past lives, anyway. Duff stopped to think about it; how does virginity work when you start a new life as a guardian? He decided to ask.

"Are ye a virgin?" he blurted out.

Abby nearly snapped her neck she looked at him so fast. "_What?_"

"Eh mean, eh know ye've had sex in yer past lives, but 'ave ye had sex as eh guardian before? When wus te last time ye had sex? Were ye mortal or were ye eh guardian?"

"Um….mortal." Abby was almost surprised to realize that herself.

"So how does tha' work? Don' ye become virgin again after bein' reborn inte eh new life? Like, when ye were reborn, ye were eh fully grown woman wit wings an' eh reset pussy, am eh right?"

"_Duff_!" Abby flustered and her eyes widened. Did he just talk about her…_like that_…that _word_?

"Whut? It's eh simple question!" Duff tried not to laugh. She was completely red from embarrassment.

Abby didn't answer. Partly because she was just so shocked to say anything, but partly because she didn't want to admit that he was right. At least, she _thought_ he was. Abby hadn't really thought about her…_body _that way ever since her rebirth into guardianship. Sex never really came up in her new life anyway, not until Duff came along. Duff had been the only mortal who not only made her think about sex, but made her desire it ever since being mortal and losing her husband in her past life.

"Guardians don't tend to have sex for pleasure. If it will help with a mission somehow then yes, we can have sex, but usually it is looked down upon. Sexual desire is thought to be a mortal's emotional burden—that which ties you all to the Earth and it's creatures. To be a guardian you have to free yourself from all the worldly attachments and be pure cosmic energy." Abby said it plainly, looking away from Duff and instead out at the ocean. He could sense grief in her voice.

"Do ye miss havin' earthly attachments?" Duff asked.

"I feel guilty because I _have _earthly attachments…to you and Bessie. A guardian isn't supposed to feel that. We are expected to block it out…and I'm afraid my mistake will cost you the result of the trial."

"Abby…eh wouldn' still want ye around if ye didn' feel 'attached' te meh. Te whole reason eh want ye in our lives is because ye care about us an' ye have feelin's fer us. Eh wouldn' have fallen in love wit ye if ye weren't down on Earth, ye know whut eh mean?"

"But the elders still might punish you for my mistake."

"Then eh guess it wus eh mistake fallin' in love wit ye." He snapped.

Abby could feel the sting in her eyes. She felt pain grow inside of her. The wind blowing at her face annoyed her and she felt like falling off the boat and drowning in the ocean water. Duff realized what he just said…and in the middle of their date, too. He didn't mean to say that…it was just a comeback. He was annoyed that she spoke about the trial and herself with such negativity, he was angry and wanted to forget about tomorrow, just for a couple of hours. Duff slowed down the boat until it came to a slow halt.

"Shit, Abby…" he said, feeling like an idiot. "Eh didn' mean tha'."

Abby didn't respond. She kept her back to him and hid her tear-stained face towards the sea.

Duff sat down next to her and wrapped his arm around her waist. Abby was a cold, frozen statue. Her eyes were red and strained. They looked sad, but also tired, like she was an eighty year old woman again.

"Abby…Abby ehm sorry. It wusn't eh mistake. Yer te best thing tha's ever happened te meh. Eh love ye…" he whispered. Duff took a strand of hair that hung loose in front of her face and tucked it behind her ear. He then took her hand. It was cold. He brought it to his lips and kissed it. "Eh love ye." He whispered again. "It's nae eh mistake fer bein' connected te people an' feelin' emotions an' desire. It's whut makes life so beautiful. Love is eh miraculous thing, an' te elders don' know eh thing about te meanin' of life if they think love is eh burden. They've had their hearts ripped out, like mine wus, an' they didn' get their chance te meet someone as wonderful as ye."

Abby turned to look at him. She gazed at him like a lost and disoriented animal. She nearly choked on her words. "I'm cold."

Duff immediately took his coat off and draped it over Abby. He soon felt the chilly ocean breeze, but he didn't care. He would rather have Abby warm than to feel cold himself. He would bear any pain for her. Duff then wrapped his arms around her and tried to warm her up by rubbing her arms and shoulders.

"I'm sorry, Abby." He mumbled. When she didn't respond, he tried again. He didn't want their date to end now. He didn't want Abby to leave after he said something like _that_. "Ehm an idiot…dye forgive meh? Ye can slap meh if ye want."

Abby smiled a little. "No…I won't slap you." She frowned again, thinking. "It's just…I don't know." She shook her head. "It's just…you remind me of him." Duff cringed a little. He didn't want Abby's past husband to come up again, especially not now. "And it _hurt _to hear you say that…"

"Did he ever say tha' te ye?" Duff asked.

"No, but…because of the things I did, sometimes I thought he wanted to say it."

"Ehm sure he didn'." Duff hugged Abby tightly to his chest, and he leaned against the boat while holding her. "An' even if he did…once ye fall in love there's no turnin' back ye know. Ye can' get outteh it. Ehm gonna love ye forever whether eh want te or nae." He joked. "So ehm stuck wit ye. But in no way wus fallin' in love wit ye eh mistake…eh jus' said it, eh didn' even think of whut eh wus sayin'…"

"It's okay. I know." Abby said. She leaned her head on his chest and felt him stroke her hair. "I know by now that you have a tendency of saying things you don't mean just to fight back. You like to start fights, you know."

"Whut? Eh do _nae_!"

Abby turned her head and gave him a 'look'.

Duff scrunched his face as Abby raised her eyebrow. "Okay maybe eh do…sometimes."

They sat there for a while, holding each other and bracing against the cold air. The hair on Duff's arm stood up and he had some serious goosebumps. It was _chilly_. Abby noticed his skin started to feel cold. "Do you want your jacket back?" she asked.

"Nae…keep it. Ye need it more than eh do."

"I don't know about that…you're starting to look a little purple." She looked at his face and noticed his skin had a berry-red tint to it, and it looked dull and dry. "Here." She started to take off his jacket, but he prevented her from doing so.

"No…" Duff kept the jacket closed so she could stay warm. "Please, Abby. Eh care more abou' ye than eh care abou' mehself.

"You shouldn't. You should care about yourself just as much as you care about me or anybody else. You're going to get sick as a dog without a jacket in this weather."

"Eh don' care, eh get sick all te time." Duff brushed it off.

"Well I care."

Abby took off Duff's jacket, then she started to unbutton her shirt. Duff wanted to ask what she was doing, but at the same time, she was _unbuttoning her shirt_…something he wanted to watch for a _long _time.

When she was done, she pulled her white cotton shirt off and revealed her low-back strap bra. Before Duff could get a good look, his body was wrapped in white fluffy, warm feathers.

"Hey…"

"Don't start with me. If you're not going to wear your jacket, I'm going to warm you up myself." Abby snapped.

"But now whut about ye? Yer nae wearin' anythin'."

"I'll be fine."

"Nae nae nae…don' go warmin' meh up wit yer magical feathers meanwhile yer the naked one."

"Well I'm not _completely_ naked…"

"Bull. Yer close enough."

"Well unlike you, I can face the cold with immortality. You on the other hand, can freeze to death."

"Like ehm goin' te freeze te death in the middle of te sea, wit meh castle jus' eh couple miles away." Duff wrapped his arms around Abby's torso, under her feathery blanket. He felt her cold back. It was exposed to the chilly wind compared to the rest of her body.

"Well…you can still get sick."

"Whut an' ye can't?"

"Yes and no. Technically I can't, but I can make myself sick."

Duff chuckled. He was starting to actually feel very warm. "Ye know, sometimes eh don' understand ye."

"That's okay, I don't expect you to."

Duff chuckled some more. He didn't know whether it was from the cold, or from starting at Abby's shirt on the deck, but he really wanted her, right then and there, on that boat.

He started to kiss her. He felt like he had no reason to but at the same time every reason to. Abby was surprised and found it random. Duff was starting a habit of feeling desire at such random and unexpected times. It kept Abby on her toes a lot, and in a way she liked that. She didn't have to wait for a romantic moment to be intimate with him. He wanted her at all times of the day, through whatever feelings he was having. He was the kind of guy that would have romantic sex just as much as fighting sex or make-up sex or kinky sex. Duff didn't feel romantic. He felt like yelling at her for exposing her body trying to salvage his. He felt like they were playing a tug of war, and neither of them were winning. He decided instead to just cut the rope between them.

They were making out for a couple minutes and Duff rubbed her back and ran his hands all over her sides and tummy, trying to not only feel her but warm her up. He also gently touched her chest a little, and when Abby didn't rebel, he squeezed her breasts. With one hand he reached under her skirt and traced the lines of her underwear. Abby moaned a little, and he wasn't sure if it was because she was enjoying his touch or because he was going too far. He could tell, because he wasn't going to let his mouth leave hers for a second.

Duff supported her back and leaned over her until she was lying down on the deck of the boat and he was lying on top of her, while Abby's wings stayed around them and kept them inside a warm cocoon. They continued to kiss until they heard a loud, startling horn. Duff looked up and saw another boat passing them by. The driver honked and hollered at them. He shouted and whistled. Abby gasped, not because of the exposure of her body, but the exposure of her wings. Duff seemed to read her mind and immediately covered them with his jacket. He also gave the other boater his middle finger. The guy laughed and saluted sarcastically, continuing to sail on.

Abby quickly got dressed. After her wings melted back into ink, she put on and buttoned her shirt and straightened out her skirt before Duff could blink. She _was _a fast dresser. Abby didn't put his jacket back on…she picked it up and hung it on the back of the driver's seat.

"Ab—"

"I'm hungry. Let's just get to the mainland before it gets too dark like you said."

Duff felt like any luck he was having on this date was being stripped away fast. Everything was going downhill and he didn't know how to climb back up again. He and Abby kept encountering these awkward moments trying to be physical or just talk about anything besides the big obvious…this might be the last day Abby had with him. It nearly drove him insane not to think about it. He couldn't help himself. He wanted to be with her, physically, and he may never get the chance. He felt like it was all he could think or care about, but he knew that wasn't true. Duff wanted to have a nice romantic date with her without her body or the trial on his mind. He didn't think it would be so hard.

Duff didn't say anything, frankly because he didn't know what to say. He was cold but he didn't take the jacket. He sat in the driver's seat and started the boat's engine again. He rolled out and they sailed into sea again, without saying a word to each other, up until the mainland was in sight and they docked the boat in the harbor.

Duff helped Abby out of the boat. He grabbed his jacket, a little annoyed that she also refused to wear it during the cold ride. He automatically draped it over her shoulders. She tried to shrug it off, but he put his hands over her.

"Don' even think abou' it."

"Duff,"

"Jus' wear te goddamn coat, Abby!" he snapped. She looked a little upset, but he quickly tried to explain his outburst. "Ehm sorry but eh want ye te wear it. Ehm fine. Jus' please wear it an' don' be complainin' abou' how ehm goin' te catch eh cold. Eh stupid cold is nuthin' compared te whut eh've been through in meh life an' ehm sure whut eh'll be dealin' wit after tomorrow."

"You're still thinking about tomorrow?" They stopped walking and Abby turned to him.

"Eh'd love te stop thinkin' about it but eh can't. Eh want te forget it an' be wit ye like it's any other day but eh can't. Ehm sorry eh've been so…physical. Eh've always kind eh used sex as eh distraction, so eh wouldn' think about everythin' else in meh life tha' eh wanted te ignore. Ehm jus' _confused_, Abby. Eh don' know where te go from 'ere…eh want te take ye out an' have eh good time but eh can't stop thinkin' tha' eh won' be able te talk te ye or look inte yer eyes or kiss ye ever again…eh jus' can' _fathom _it…"

"Shhh…." Abby put a hand to his face. "Slow down, you're getting frantic." Duff looked a little on the insane side. He turned his face so his lips touched the palm of her hand and he kissed it. He didn't want to start crying now, but he wanted to.

"Abby…eh dunno how te say goodbye te ye…eh _can't_."

"We're not saying our goodbyes now."

"So, whut, are we goin' te wait till mornin' an' only 'ave eh few minutes te say goodbye before te trial begins? An eternity couldn' prepare meh te say te things eh want te say an' do te things eh want te do…"

Abby leaned in and planted a soft, calming kiss on his lips. He kissed her back and it melted away all his anxieties. _This _was what he wanted. He needed to be happy with her.

"Let's have dinner and not worry about tomorrow, okay? Just a couple hours of peace and good food…can you do that for me?" Abby asked.

Duff blinked away the water in his eyes and nod his head. He leaned in slowly and deeply kissed her again. "Ehm sorry…eh know yer hungry."

"Hungry? No no no…I'm starving. So move it buster or I might just have to eat _you_."

Duff's eyebrows flew off his head. Abby widened her eyes after a moment, realizing how what she just said could be interpreted _so _wrong.

"I didn't…"

Duff giggled a little. "Eh know whut ye meant but…" he snickered a little louder. Abby was so embarrassed it amused him.

"Oh shut your trap and _walk_!" Abby pushed him towards the town of Girvan, where the night awaited them.

Walking down the streets, Duff and Abby held hands. People walking by stared at the two of them, especially at Duff. They recognized him. They knew who he was. He and his siblings had gone to school up the road; Duff pointed it out to Abby and showed her the trail he and his sister used to take. They would take the back-road, away from the trail most of the other kids used to walk. Duff had too many 'encounters' with the other children. He pointed out his favorite shops and restaurants. They decided to go with one of Duff's favorite pubs called 'The Roxy' Bar. They walked in and sat down at a table. Abby watched as everyone turned to look and see who walked in, after hearing the bell in the door. Once they saw Duff Killigan, they couldn't look away. Duff was a celebrity in Scotland, but one of those poor always trashed-about celebrities because of his drug problems in the past. But it was difficult to call him a celebrity, because there wasn't humor on the people's faces. They showed fear. Instead, Duff was considered a criminal…a very dangerous one.

The people were so afraid that the waiter didn't even come to greet us. They all just stared and stared.

Duff sighed. "Ehm sorry Abby…eh knew this would 'appen. Eh don' want te cause eh scene or anythin'—"

"Excuse me, waiter?!" Abby shouted. The man nearly jumped off the ground. He was shaken as he walked over to them.

"H-how can eh help ye miss?" he asked.

"Can we get two waters please? And some menus?" Abby asked politely.

"C-certainly, miss." The waiter waddled over to his podium, took two menus and two drink menus, and brought it back over to them. He went into the back to get their glasses.

"Whut are ye doin'?" Duff asked her as soon as the waiter left.

"What do you mean 'what are you doing'? I'm hungry. I want to eat. Do not mess with me when I'm hungry."

Duff leaned over the table, closer to her, and whispered: "Do ye even need te eat? Eh thought ye were immortal?"

Abby sighed. "Guardians have bodies that are pretty much ninety percent human. I don't _have _to eat and I won't die, but I'll feel the pain of hunger."

"Ah." Duff slumped back in his chair and crossed his arms. Somehow he felt like a boy again.

The water came back with two glasses and a pitcher of water. He put the two glasses down on the table in front of him, and poured the water into Abby's glass first. He was about to fill it into Duff's glass when he grabbed his cup as if to refuse. The waiter shivered a little from the sudden movement. By accident, he splashed a little water on Duff's hand. Because he did this, the waiter shivered even more. He was a young, lanky kid. Abby could easily tell he was extremely afraid of Duff.

"Better watch where ye spill tha', lad." Duff growled.

"S-s-sorry sir. W-w-would ye like eh glass eh water, sir?"

"Eh don' drink anythin' eh didn' see prepared. Ye never know, righ'?"

The waiter widened his eyes a little and slowly nod his head. Duff calmly took the pitcher and filled his glass himself. He then handed the glass of water to the waiter. He took it and Abby could see the water crashing against and over the glass like waves.

"Drink it." Duff commanded. The waiter hesitantly nod his head, then gulped down the water within seconds. He handed the glass back to Duff.

"T-thank ye sir, eh wus very thirsty…"

"Then maybe ye should 'ave taken eh sip o' water earlier, instead of dirtyin' meh glass." Duff forced the glass back to the waiter and he nearly stumbled over.

"S-sorry sir,"

"Don' apologize. Get us eh bottle eh wine…yer best year…an' don' open it. Jus' bring it te the table."

"Y-yes sir…" the waiter quickly ran away into the back again, and Duff sat back down. Almost immediately he felt a sharp kick into his shin from Abby's stilettos.

"_Ooww!_ Whut te hell wus tha' fer?"

Abby glared at him. "What did you do that for?"

"Do whut?"

"Bully him like that! You didn't have to order him around and be so mean."

"Ehm sure his father bullied _meh _ah some point." Duff growled.

"That doesn't give you the right to bully _him_! Don't you know the saying?"

"Whut sayin'?"

"…I don't know. There's got to be a million sayings I'm referencing to…something like, _'You are no better than the one who used to bully you throughout childhood if you are the one who later bullies their child?'_"

"Tha's eh long an' very specific sayin'."

"I just made that up it's not an actual saying…you know what I mean."

Duff looked down and stared at the table for a minute. Then he looked up and around at everyone. Half of the room continued to stare or take quick glances, and the other half tried their best _not_ to make eye contact. He saw some people on the phone, talking frantic. "Look at them…they're all afraid of meh. This town used te pick on meh an' meh family an' look at the reputation eh created fer te Killigans…look at how they treat meh now. They're afraid of meh."

"And what, you feel powerful from that?"

Duff frowned. "No…eh jus'…wanted te impress ye…eh dunno."

"Impress me? Duff…you should know me better than that by now. I like you because deep down I know you have a big heart. I've seen it. Deep down, you're a _good _person. You protect the ones you love and do the right thing."

"Right thing? Are ye sure we're talking abou' te same lad, here?"

"Look at what you did on the island! You risked your life to destroy the drones. You said they were _your_ responsibility. You did the right thing to protect the world."

"Well eh haven't done te right thing _all_ meh life."

"No, but who has? Everyone makes mistakes."

"Some more than others…"

Abby reached across the table and took Duff's hand. "Life is a journey. You've had a long and hard one. Everything is understandable."

"Eh love ye, Abby." Duff whispered. Abby was surprised that he said it so randomly. She blushed a little and smiled. She felt like a little schoolgirl with butterflies in her stomach because of a crush. She was about to respond when the waiter returned with the bottle of wine and a corkscrew.

Duff grabbed the bottle, a bit viciously, and took the corkscrew. He cut around the capsule and pulled off the cap, then gracefully wedged the screw in the cork, and twisted it a couple times until he was able to finally pull the cork out. It made a loud 'pop' noise.

Duff sniffed the contents of the bottle from the rim. He then poured a little into a glass, and handed it to the waiter with a sly smile. He took it nervously.

"Oh, stop." Abby stood up and grabbed the glass from the waiter. "Don't accuse this poor kid of poisoning your wine. If you want someone to test it, I'll do it."

Before Duff could say another word, Abby gulped down the sip of wine. Everyone was staring and waiting in such suspenseful anticipation. Abby handed Duff the glass, took the bottle, and thanked the waiter. He ran away as soon as he could, and escaped into the back again.

Duff stared at Abby. She stared right back and crossed her arms.

"What?" she asked. "You know poison couldn't kill me."

"Dye even feel if ye 'ave poison in ye?"

"Not right now, I don't."

"But if there wus poison in ye, ye could tell? Would ye feel pain?"

"I can't say, it's never happened. I probably would." Abby filled his glass almost to the top and she filled her glass the same.

"Whoa…Abby, ye know yer only supposed te fill te wine glass abou' half-way…eh standard serving is only like five ounces. This is like two drinks."

"And you're complaining?" Abby raised an eyebrow.

"It's…unusual fer ye te serve like this."

"Tonight is a…special night." Abby mumbled. She took a sip of wine…a large sip.

Duff looked at her strangely. She wasn't acting like herself. "…whut dye mean?"

"…nothing in particular." She took another sip and started looking over the menu.

Duff still looked at her. She knew he was looking at her but she didn't make eye contact. She pretended to be interested in what was on the menu, but Duff knew she was just trying to hide.

"…ye want te get drunk, don't ye?"

Abby looked up like a deer in headlights. "….no. I just think that…since tonight might be our last, we should—"

"Get drunk."

"I wasn't going to say that. I was going to say…celebrate."

"Celebrate? Ye want te celebrate te fact tha' eh might nae see ye ehgain?"

"No. Celebrate the past and the present. Celebrate that we got to…you know, find and know each other."

Duff raised an eyebrow. "Have ye ever been drunk before?"

"What?"

"Eh said, have ye ever been drunk before? In any of yer past lives?"

"Wha—well, I don't know. I suppose at some point…"

"Well it's nae eh fun feelin' when ye wake up te mornin' after. Eh don' want te feel like shit tomorrow. Eh want te have eh clear mind. Or at least…as clear as possible."

"So then why did you order this wine?"

"Eh didn't say eh wus drinkin' all of it."

"So you need to have a clear head, but you order a whole bottle of wine. Do you want to get _me _drunk?"

"Whut? No, of course nae…"

"Then why did you order this, if you want to have a clear head tomorrow and you don't want me to get drunk. Please, tell me so I understand."

"Where te hell are ye goin' wit all this? Where is this comin' from?"

"I just don't understand the importance of the alcohol."

"Eh wanted te have eh nice drink wit te meal! God, Abby! Whut's gotten inte ye?" Duff threw his arms in the air. He was so confused as to why Abby was starting an argument now, and for such a strange reason. He didn't know what he was doing wrong to make this date so terrible.

"You wanted me to drink the wine and get drunk so you could fuck me before I leave. Am I right?"

Duff widened his eyes. He couldn't believe she just said the 'f' word, for one, and that she said it loudly…in public. Duff felt a little embarrassed.

"Shh! Don' talk too loud. No, tha' wusn't meh intention. Calm down, Abby, please. Eh jus' wanted eh drink wit te meal. Eh'll have te waiter take te rest of te bottle when he gets back if ye like."

Abby stared at him for a while, a bit angrily. "…no. Leave the bottle."

"Why?"

"Because I'll drink it."

"Whut?"

"I said I'll drink it."

"Te whole bottle?"

Abby leaned back in her chair again and crossed her arms. Duff looked at her like she was crazy.

"Abby, eh understand tha' ye cannae die, but ehm warnin' ye, if ye do tha' ye'll ah _least _pass out. An' eh don' want tha'. There are only eh select few in tis world who can drink eh whole bottle an' nae get affected by it. Eh highly advise ye nae te try bein' one of those people."

"Oh and you are?"

Duff nearly exploded. "Abby, whut's te matter wit ye? Eh don' get it! Yer snappin' at meh all of eh sudden. Whut did eh do?"

Abby didn't respond. She looked away from him, a little hurt. Duff didn't understand. Was she doing this on purpose? Did she have a bad memory of alcohol from one of her past lives? Did she used to be a heavy drinker, too? An alcoholic? Why did she want to drink all the wine?

"Abby, if there's somethin' ye want te tell meh, ehm right here. Ehm all ears. Cuz' eh didn' do nuthin."

Abby still didn't respond. She looked even sadder. She didn't know what to say to him. She wanted all the pain to go away. She wanted to feel light, and bubbly, and happy. She took her glass of wine and brought it to her lips.

"Abby…"

She started drinking, and the wine kept flowing into her mouth. She didn't stop to pause or take a breath. The wine just kept disappearing down her throat. She kept gulping and she closed her eyes tightly like there was salt in them.

Duff grabbed her hand. He pulled the glass right from her lips and set it down. There was only an ounce or two left. A little wine had spilled from Abby's lips, so she quickly took a napkin and dabbed her mouth.

"Ye were an alcoholic an' ye never told meh." Duff said. He said it softly, even though he was angry. He _knew _the pain she had gone through. He felt the pain that he could see through her eyes.

Abby stared down the menu, but Duff ordered her to look at him. She glanced up.

"Tell meh." He snapped.

"I…I started drinking after my husband passed. I felt more relaxed and it took away the pain the more I drank. I don't want to lose you either…I don't want you to lose the trial. You said that you couldn't stop thinking about tomorrow, and I tried to calm you but now _I _can't think about anything else."

"Have ye been drinkin' this whole time? Livin' in te castle wit meh?"

"No. This is the first time I've wanted to drink since my past life."

"Why did ye accuse meh of wantin' te get ye drunk an'…ye know."

Abby held her head like it hurt. "I don't know…maybe I wanted you to have that intention."

Duff was surprised. He wasn't sure if this was Abby he was talking to or an alien life form. "Yer sayin' ye want te get drunk an' ye want meh te—?"

The waiter appeared at their table again, almost out of nowhere. "Have ye decided on y-yer meals yet?"

Abby looked up at him. "I'll have the crab-stuffed mushrooms for appetizer, then for dinner I'll have the Chermoula crumbled Scotch lamb filet, aubergine and tahini puree with shoestring sweet potatoes."

The waiter scribbled down his note and cautiously looked over at Duff.

"A-and fer ye sir?" he practically whispered it.

"Ye don' need te call meh sir, ehm sure ye know who eh am."

"M-mr. Killigan, sir." The waiter nodded his head.

"Err…eh'll take te Cullen skink an' cock-a-leekie kebabs."

The waiter scribbled down another note and scurried to the back. Duff and Abby looked at each other again.

"Well?" Duff asked.

Abby looked shy. She hunched over like she wanted to hide. "Well what?"

"Ye didn't answer meh question, an' eh would like it te be answered."

"What question?"

"Ye said tha' ye _wanted _te get drunk?"

"I guess…"

"An' ye _wanted_ te have sex?"

Abby flushed red. "I'm sorry I was acting weird. Sometimes I say things I just feel like saying but don't really mean…or I say things that are from a subconscious level…" Abby held her head again. "I don't know. I guess it was like a two second fantasy I thought of. I don't want to be wasted-sick drunk, I want to be loose and happy and flirty…and in a way I want to have fun before tomorrow. Everything between us is always so serious and deep and emotional. I'd like us to just enjoy life for once and not worry about anything but _that _specific moment. You know what I mean? Like, just think about the now and not the later. Have that 'tomorrow could be our last' lifestyle…frankly because that's exactly what's to happen."

"Soo…let meh get tis straight. Ye want te get drunk…nae wasted, but enough where yer…ehm…'loose'."

Abby nodded her head, hesitantly.

"An' ye want te have sex…wit meh…tonight."

"I don't think the term 'sex' really describes what I want." She hinted.

"Err…make love?"

"….no."

Duff looked at her. At some point he thought he heard crickets they were silent for so long. It took him a while to think of what she 'wanted'.

"…Fuck?" he only mouthed the word. Saying the curse was never a problem for him, but saying it in the sexual context and saying it not only _to _Abby but _about _Abby made him uncomfortable.

Abby shifted in her seat.

"Ye mean like…"

Abby leaned her chin on the palm of her hand, with her elbow on the table. She looked at him with a blank expression and nodded her head ever so slightly.

"Like dirty-kinky?"

She nodded her head.

"Hard?"

She nodded it again.

"Alrigh', who are ye? Is this some kind eh stupid trick? Is an elder possesin' yer body er somethin'? Ye tryin' te make me fall inte some kind eh trap te get me er Abby in trouble?"

Abby took her elbow off the table and sat up straight. Her expression was still blank and emotionless.

"No, I'm just telling you that this is a desire I thought of for two seconds and I think that if we should do anything on our last day together it should be something wild."

Duff lifted up his arm and pinched it. He waited a few seconds, then pinched it again.

"Still here, lad." Abby commented. She drank the rest of her wine, then filled her glass again. Duff looked at her, then the wine, then back at her, then back at the wine again. He hesitantly took his glass and brought it to his lips. He smelt the strong grape odor. In a way, it surprisingly turned him off. The smell of the alcohol brought back memories he didn't want to have to think of ever again. The smell made him think of the amount of alcohol he used to drink in one sitting and how often he tried to drown his sorrows in whiskey or wine or scotch…whatever was in the cupboard at the time was what he drank, straight from the bottle. He thought of how he used to treat Bessie when he was drunk, and even if he wasn't drunk he still didn't treat her the way a father should have. Duff thought of how he even treated Abby when he was drunk a few times. In many ways the wine repelled him but at the same time he didn't want to think of the bad memories. He didn't want to think of tomorrow. He wanted to think of the 'now', and how hot it was to hear Abby say she wanted to fuck.

A little while later the waiter came back with their food. He carefully placed them on the table so as not to drop, break or chip anything. He was _especially _careful to not spill any food on either of them. He knew that would have cost him his head.

Abby dug in immediately. Duff forgot she was starving, mainly because she stopped reminding him and didn't complain. Duff ate his food slowly in comparison. He was hungry, but he found no reason to eat any faster than he normally would. They ate in silence and Abby finished all her food by the time Duff was only finished with his soup.

"Gee…did ye wunt dessert wit tha'?" Duff mumbled.

"Oooh, let's get a slice of pie. I _love _cobbler…let's get some blueberry cobbler." Abby read off the dessert menu.

Duff raised an eyebrow. She was acting a little too overexcited about cobbler. "Yer still hungry after eatin' all tha'? Ye had four stuffed mushrooms, lamb and sweet potato. Nae te mention all tha' wi…" Duff trailed off when he looked at the wine bottle. He didn't notice Abby pouring more and more wine into her cup during dinner. The bottle was almost empty.

"Oh! Oh! Your kebaby-ma-thingies look really good. Can I have some?" Abby asked.

Duff stared at her. "…yer drunk."

Abby didn't respond. She just poked at his food and awkwardly tried to steal some chicken, leeks and prunes from the metal stick. Duff started to laugh a little.

"Oh mah god…yer drunk!" He felt like he was in the twilight zone. Never in a million years did he expect to see Abby of all people, drunk. Unlike him, she was a happy drunk. She acted like a breezy Valley girl, and it was highly, highly amusing.

"Oh lassie…whut 'ave ye done…" Duff slowly shook his head and chuckled.

"_Oh lassie whut 'ave ye done lassie!_" Abby imitated in her best Scottish accent. Duff just laughed more. "You talk so funny. You're like, _Guid day mah name is Duff, ehm really Scottish aye eh wear me kilt an' eat me haggis, an' eh live in eh big mean Scottish castle an' eh love te golf, aye eh do!_" she mocked his accent and his heritage, and at any other time it would have offended him, but Duff couldn't stop laughing, watching Abby act so opposite from her normal reserved self.

"Ye goin' te eat tha'?" Abby asked, pointing at the rest of his kebabs. Duff pushed the plate to her.

"Ye take it. Ye need food in yer body te counteract all tha' wine. Jus' don' eat too much an' throw up."

Abby ignored him and just started chowing down on the rest of his meal.

Duff and Abby spent the rest of dinner finishing the wine and their food, and ordering a couple Scottish desserts. Duff felt so young and carefree. He felt like he was a teenager again, having drinks with a beautiful young girl and having the best time of his life. They snickered over jokes and played with their food. They made silly faces and seemed to laugh over absolutely nothing. There were times that both of them couldn't _stop _laughing, where their sides hurt and their eyes filled with tears. Hours passed by feeling like minutes. Eventually the pub had to close for the night, and they were kicked out. Duff felt carefree from the alcohol he finished, so he didn't give the waiter any fuss, and he remembered to give him a very handsome tip.

Duff decided to take a walk around town with her. He wanted to show her all the places he used to go as a kid. They walked past the park he used to play in with Carol, and the bushes he used to hide in when he wanted to hide from the kids in school.

"Eh felt safe in those bushes. If kids were chasin' meh eh'd hide in there…they were big an' bushy an' no one ever found meh. Sometimes eh would cut school an' spend meh day in there, or if eh wus upset eh'd run away either during recess or after school. Eh wouldn' go home. Eh didn' want te face meh Pa or Will. Some days eh wus ready te prepare mehself te spend the night in those bushes. Eh wanted tha' te be meh home. Eh felt safer. Only problem wus tha' it got cold some nights. Eh missed Carol an' meh Ma. Their warmth brought meh home."

Abby stood in front of him and stopped him in his tracks. She took his hands and leaned forward. "You want me to warm you up?"

Duff smirked and grabbed her by the waist. "Eh'd like tha'."

"These bushes are sounding pretty nice right now."

"Ye want meh te show ye where eh used te hide?"

"Is your hiding spot big enough for two people?"

"We might 'ave te squeeze eh bit…"

"I think we can manage that…" Abby grabbed onto his shirt and mumbled in a _very_ suggestive tone. Duff had butterflies in his stomach and felt like fireworks were going off in his chest. In his head he was jumping up and down in glee.

He took her hand and walked her over to the bushes. There was a row of three large bushes and another even larger one behind them, so in between them formed a little cocoon to hide in. The bushes seemed a lot bigger when Duff was a child, and they weren't going to provide as much coverage as they used to. Duff didn't care. He nearly launched himself into the hiding spot and pulled Abby down with him. She practically landed on top of him and their lips met. Duff immediately started to make out with her, passionately. He lay down on the grass and Abby lay right on top of him. Duff didn't feel like holding back and being romantic. He reached under her skirt and did what he does best…pleasing the woman body. Abby reacted quite dramatically and moaned loudly. Duff muffled her with his kisses. They _were _in a park…he didn't want anyone to find them. Abby grabbed his arms and rubbed against his chest. She felt excited to be doing things in a public place. The idea that someone could catch them aroused her. Although, she did think of when they were on the boat and remembered that actually being caught wasn't the best feeling. But they were in a secluded area in the middle of the night. Unlike before, they were hidden enough where the idea of being found seemed less likely. They were also rolling around in dirt and leaves, and in a way it turned Abby on even more. Abby wanted to scream so loud from what Duff was doing. She had to bite down on his shoulder to keep herself from doing so. They didn't have a lot of room to move, but Duff knew exactly what to do to make her feel amazing. _He _was the one doing all the work.

"You have some skilled fingers there…" Abby mumbled. She was out of breath. Her heart raced a mile a minute.

"In eh few minutes eh'll show ye how skilled meh hips are too." Duff growled back. He grabbed her, squeezed her, spanked her, and quickly moved his fingers like he was playing a musical instrument. He then lifted her skirt higher and unbuttoned his pants. Abby embraced herself. She didn't just want this, she deserved this. She deserved to forgive herself and live again. She felt love again…and not just 'love', but 'in love'. She didn't dare to tell Duff that, however, because she knew it would break his heart the next morning when reality hit. Abby wondered for a second what changed her. Was it the alcohol that convinced her to give her 'guardian virginity' to Duff? She soon declined that idea, because she knew this desire came before the wine started to flow. But what made her forgive herself? What sent away the guilt? What made her feelings change from 'love' to 'in love'? Abby didn't have the time to figure it out, for Duff had made his way inside.

Duff and Abby lay down in the grass and watched the stars. The rough edges of the bushes surrounded them, and they kept each other warm with the help of Abby's wings. They circled around their bodies and beneath the wings they held each other close. Duff felt happier than he's ever been. He felt peaceful, like all the wars inside his brain ceased to exist. Nothing mattered anymore. He felt no stress or grief or pain. He felt healed completely, like he found the cure for his rare and difficult disease. Abby looked at the stars and thought about going home to the guardians. It all seemed like a dream. She didn't feel like a guardian anymore. She didn't consider the wings hers, or even as a part of her anatomy. She felt human again, and she had human desires. She wanted to stay with Duff. She wanted to live with him and be with him for the rest of his life, and she wanted to die with him too. She wanted to die and she didn't want to wake up in her next life and remember everything.

Abby thought about her guardianship as she relaxed. Sometimes Abby considered her memories a curse. It didn't make her wiser, but instead it made her feel a bit lonely. Being a guardian, watching over other people's lives and not having one of her own kind of defeated the whole purpose of life itself. Why was guardianship such a prize? It seemed more like a punishment.

"A punishment…" Abby mumbled. Duff looked over to her. He was confused and a little to hurt to hear _those words _after what they just _did_.

"Whut?" he asked.

Abby ignored him. Something had dawned on her and though she wasn't fully conscious on what it was, her brain blocked everything out. She stared right into the night sky but she felt blind. She felt strange but didn't know why, exactly. She sat up and stared into space, thinking. She couldn't see anything but the images in her head. Duff was alarmed at her sudden movements. Did he do something wrong? Was she tired of lying down with him? He took her hand and tried to pull her back down.

"Abby, whut's wrong?" When he didn't get a response and when Abby didn't budge, he started to get worried. He sat up with her and tried to shake her out of whatever trance she was in. "Babe, whut's wrong?"

"I'm just…thinking about when I was born. You know, into this life as a guardian. I remember it."

Duff didn't say anything, but he just watched her. He could tell something was wrong. Abby was acting different. He was at least relieved that her worries weren't about _him_…at least, it didn't sound like it.

"I remember waking up, like how you wake up in the morning after going to bed the night before. I felt like it was the best sleep I ever got. Everything around me was white, and people surrounded me. At first I thought I was still in the hospital, but then I started to actually remember my death, and the people around me were strangers. I started to cry, because I felt the pain of death. I felt it all over again. I felt losing my kids and then I thought of my husband, but…the more I looked at these people I thought maybe I'd gone to heaven or something similar to it. I thought I could finally be with him and for so long I searched for him. I didn't care at first what they told me about my new life. It was all kind of a psychotic blur. I just wanted to be with him again."

"Yer husband…" Duff mumbled.

"Probably not the best conversation to talk about right now…" Abby realized. She looked at him guiltily.

"Nah, go ahead." Duff brushed it off. Abby was sharing something special with him. "Besides, ehm used te bein' forgotten about after sex."

Abby looked even sadder. Duff smiled a little and pushed her to continue. Abby sighed and stared into space again.

"It's not my husband I'm thinking about…he's just part of what I remember of my birth. But I think about what the guardians told me. They never said…." Abby mumbled to herself. She was acting strange again.

"Abby are ye still drunk or something?" Duff was getting worried. He didn't seem surprised, though. Happiness always escaped him sooner or later, somehow.

Abby started to realize things more and more. Her eyes widened. Duff couldn't take the suspense. He shook her body like she was a corpse already.

"Abby? Whut te hell is te matter?"

"Hell…that's just it."

"Huh?"

Abby stood up. She didn't bother to brush herself off from the bushes. She stared out into the park like she was looking for someone.

"Abby whut are ye talkin' about?"

"When I became a guardian, you know, I was born with these amazing wings and I could fly, and they told me that my job was to watch over and influence lives, like an angel, you know? I was never Catholic and the religion isn't completely accurate in terms of what really exists after death, but it's pretty accurate for something humans figured out hundreds of years ago. There isn't a God that we serve or anything like that, the elders are the head of all guardians but they're not the head of _everything_. But from the beliefs that I learned about as a human, I believed that I was an angel. But that's just it! Everything I learned was created by human minds and not supreme beings."

"Err…okay," Duff was finding it a little hard to follow.

"Humanity isn't supreme. We made these beliefs based on what we _thought _was true about life after death and spirituality. And after being a guardian for so long I've started to question why this was considered salvation. What makes this 'heaven' so great? Because it's really not. Why is this _job _a reward? I mean, there's nothing rewarding about it. It's like slavery."

"Abby eh don' understand…"

Abby turned around and looked right at him. "Human belief would assume my role as a good one, right? I've got the wings, wear white, I'm your guardian angel, right? It's obvious."

"Err…"

"Wrong. When I was reborn into this life they never mentioned anything about angels or Heaven. They just told me what my job was and said these are the rules you have to follow…"

"Abby yer nae makin' any sense…"

Abby walked closer to him. She grabbed him by the cloth of his shirt and looked into his eyes with a glare so strong, Duff could almost feel it blazing right through him. She looked like a madwoman.

"Duff…I don't think I made it to salvation. I don't think the term 'guardian' is the same as your definition of 'angel'.I don't think I am an '_angel'_ at all…I think I'm a demon."

Duff looked at her like she was crazy. "…whut?"

Abby released her grab on him and paced back and forth in the park. "_Think_ about it! The feelings I've been having about the meaning of life and the end of our soul's journey…I never believed for one second that guardians were at the end of the rope. I made a mistake in my past life…I wasn't loyal to my husband and now in my next life I am cursed to remember everything in such heightened detail; I miss my husband and my children and I regret all the mistakes of all my past lives. I'm cursed to be controlled by all the horrors of human emotion, and I'm forced to work. When you think of like, heaven…you don't think of having to work, do you? Or having responsibilities?"

"…no, eh don'."

"Exactly. In paradise your soul should be free. My soul isn't free. I'm chained to the throat and the elders are holding the leash.

"Abby, yer nae eh demon."

"Why not?"

"Because demons are evil an' yer te complete opposite of tha'. Yer te kindest person eh know an' ye've changed meh heart."

"Only to rip it out tomorrow."

Duff looked at her. Was he hearing correctly? This wasn't the Abby he knew, and it scared him.

"But that's humanity's version of a demon. Angels have wings and are kind and look over you and demons are red with horns, ugly and mean. No human ever figured out the truth. The guardians told me secrecy is of vital importance and anyone who knows the truth must either be taken from the physical plane of existence or be sworn to an oath of silence. No one has ever known and lived to tell the world or even write it down. The Earthly religions that humans have created, believed and worshiped for decades are simply made-up stories to try and explain the other worlds and its creatures. What you know isn't exactly the truth…what _I _know isn't exactly the truth. Just because I'm a guardian doesn't mean I know everything about being one. I was human, too."

Duff held his head. "It wus mind blowing enough te hear yer an angel…now this?"

"If I'm no angel, I can honestly say I have no clue who or what is, or if they even exist. Maybe there is no duality, maybe there are no separate worlds for the good and the bad. Maybe the idea of 'heaven' doesn't even exist at all…maybe we're all just slaves in the end." Abby laughed at the idea that peace is just a myth. "And here I thought after death we'd know all the answers."

"Why don' ye talk te one of te elders? Ehm sure Cathella would know."

"Maybe she does. But what makes you think she would tell me?"

"Abby…stop this." Duff stood close to her and played with a strand of her hair. "Frankly, yer goin' ah wee crazy righ' now. Lay back down wit meh an relax. We'll figure things out tomorrow."

Duff pulled her to him and Abby rested her head on his chest. "Do you think maybe, if we lose the trial, I'll be punished too? Maybe you'll forget me and I'll forget all my doubts and realizations about being a guardian…I'll start all over again and they'll curse me into being an ignorant slave for unending cycles…"

"Shhhh…" Duff stroked her hair. "Don' think abou' it." He lifted her chin and looked into her eyes. "Think abou' me instead." He smirked and kissed her lips. Abby sighed and lay her head against him again.

"I always used to be like this in my past life. I'd have a panic attack and it'd feel like my mind was about to explode with pain and confusion…I feel that now."

"_Think abou' me…" _Duff whispered. It was his turn to calm Abby, not the other way around.

Abby wasn't going to say anything, but she started to regret 'playing' in the bushes with Duff. It was highly likely that her feelings were a result of her panic attack. When she had them in her past life, Abby remembered how she would think things she really didn't believe. Subconscious worries surfaced and it felt like every possible negative thought was being surfaced at once. Or did she really make a mistake under the influence of alcohol? Abby couldn't remember _ever _being as drunk as she was.

"I want to go home…" Abby mumbled. Duff kissed her hair and nodded his head.

"Okay. It's gettin' late. Let's go home an' get ye some rest."

"Duff, I want to go _home_…"

Duff paused. He _really _didn't like this. This wasn't the Abby he knew, and not one he wanted to know. Was this 'demon' Abby? He was confused as well about the whole heaven/angel/demon thing. Or was Abby acting out because she was afraid for tomorrow?

Duff walked with her back to the docks. He helped her get into the boat, but before he started the engine, he had to ask her a burning question.

"Abby…whut did havin' sex wit meh mean te ye? Why'd ye do it?"

Abby looked right at him with worry in her eyes. She couldn't answer. She didn't exactly know herself at the moment.

"I…wanted to." she responded. It was a fair answer, because she wouldn't have done it if she didn't want to.

"But why? Wus it fun, like ye wanted te live ah wee bit before ye go back te yer guardian world? Or did ye do it because ye love me?"

Abby wanted to say she loved him. She _had _to. She felt it before. She remembered thinking about _how _she loved him, and she was wondering why herself. But after having a panic attack, her mind was a little untrustworthy. She was doubting her feelings. Did she love him or was she fooled just like all of Duff's other women in the past?

"No…I _do _love you." Abby argued out loud. "I've been with you and Bess for so long and I care about each of you deeply and I didn't want to leave you."

"Didn' or don'?" Duff asked.

"…don't. I don't want to be a guardian anymore. I don't want to be a slave. I want to be human again. I want to live _and _die by your side."

Duff took her hands and looked into her eyes. "Good." He leaned in and kissed her lips deeply. He breathed in sharply and held her face in his hands. He couldn't let her go, and he was going to make sure of it.

When they reached the island, Abby was so tired she nearly collapsed. Duff carried her in through the castle. They went upstairs and he put her in his bed. Duff didn't bother telling Abby she should undress or clean up, and he didn't bother doing so either. Both of them had a long, emotional night. Duff wanted the night to be perfect…the best night they ever had to celebrate their time together. Duff wanted to tell Abby how much he loved her, and how much of a better man and a better father he is now because of her. Even if he changed back to his old ways tomorrow, he wanted to let Abby know. He didn't want her to ever forget him.

Duff climbed in bed and held Abby against his body. He wrapped his arms around her tightly. He pushed hair away from her ear and put his lips to it.

"Abby…" he whispered.

"Mm…" Abby mumbled in return.

Duff kissed her ear gently. He wanted to say so many things, he didn't know what to say at all. He sighed and ended up saying the most important.

"Ah love ye."

Abby turned around to face him. She was so tired, she hardly had any strength to even move. She felt like a battery that's lost its power. She had never felt so tired in her many, many lives, and she didn't know why. Maybe it had to do with the trial. However, Abby did have enough strength to kiss Duff with all the power and passion she had left. Abby didn't know at what point her lips stopped kissing and her tongue stopped moving, and when she fell asleep, but what she did know was that she fell asleep with her lips still on Duff's.

The next morning Abby woke up, still in Duff's arms and his lips still touching hers. Abby stirred and felt groggy and grimy from the night before. She left her clothes on from her date and regretted leaving her makeup on. Her shirt was all wrinkled and half-buttoned. Her leather skirt had ridden all the way up to her waist. Duff's hands were around her hips and resting on the inside of her thighs. Her hells were off her feet but lying at the end of the bed. Abby stirred and woke Duff. He sleepily pulled her body close and tight to his, and kissed her lips hard.

"Let's stay in bed all day…" Duff mumbled.

Abby sighed. "The trial…"

"Ah don' care. Let's nae go…"

"We have to…" Abby whispered. She kissed his lips again, and again, and a few more times after that. Duff moaned and held her tighter. His hands explored her curvy body. He loved to feel her soft skin.

"No…" he mumbled again. "Nae after this. Nae after finally bein' happy an' findin' love wit ye."

"Duff, this isn't an option. You know that." Abby rested her hand on his cheek and looked him in the eyes. "You know I have to go back home."

"Home?" Duff lifted his head and looked at her, surprised. "Ah thought this wus yer home. _Here_. Wit me an' Bess."

"It is. _I _think it is. But it doesn't matter what I think. I'm a slave and my real home is with the other guardians. I don't want to leave either but there will be consequences if we don't show up."

"Like?"

"I don't know…it depends, I guess. But no doubt they'll make the both of us suffer."

Duff stared into space. He was trying to block the idea out of his head. He tried to prepare himself for today but he couldn't prepare enough for the amount of pain he was starting to feel.

"Ah can't lose ye." Duff mumbled.

Abby frowned. She honestly didn't know what to say, because she couldn't promise him to have hope. "Listen…remember there's always a chance you'll pass…"

He huffed and held her tighter to him. His act triggered him to cry, but he tried to mask it. "Ye think tha's really likely? Ye think ehm really capable of winnin eh mental battle against some lad tha's eh million times older than meh? Ye think ehm wise from te life eh've had? Eh life filled wit drugs an' crime an' hate…"

"That's not all of it. You have learned to love, too. I have faith in you. You're a brilliant man and you can accomplish anythget ring if you set your mind to it." Abby stroked the hair on the back of his head. "Just imagine it's just a test on philosophy. That's all it is. Just a test."

"Aye, an' yer the prize. Either eh lose ye or eh don't."

Abby frowned again. "I guess I'm losing my touch."

"Whut dye mean?"

"I guess I don't know the right thing to say anymore to make you happy."

"Oh, Abby…ye'll always make meh happy. Even when yer nae here, eh think of ye an' ehm happy. Let them try an' make meh forget ye. Eh promise eh won't."

"But Duff…how…?"

"Eh'll find eh way."

Abby sighed. It was no use trying to convince him that the elders would get rid of any note he wrote to himself or destroy any evidence of her existence. Abby wanted Duff to let her go with as little pain as possible.

Duff rubbed his face. "Whut time do we 'ave te be there?"

"In a few hours." Abby whispered. She felt too comfortable to get out of bed, too.

"Ah think we can make good use of tha' time…" Duff mumbled seductively. He started to kiss Abby again passionately. She smiled and kissed back, but in the back of her mind she didn't want to feel so close to him. If she lost him, the pain would be that much stronger. She didn't want to lose anyone else she loved. She needed to start distancing herself and expecting the worse now, so after the trial it would be less of a shock.

But she didn't want to stop kissing him. It felt amazing. It felt so good to sense Duff's warm hands all over her body, squirming around under the sheets. She felt young and happy and carefree, like nothing else mattered in the world but love. Duff wouldn't let her leave his arms even if she wanted to. They breathed heavy and felt like the air was steaming in their lungs. Abby loved to hold Duff's muscular arms and run her hands over his chest and it made him go wild. He desired every inch of her body and crept under the covers. He was craving his dessert again.

Less than an hour later Duff and Abby lay stretched out on the bed again, holding each other. Duff was lightly kissing her neck and jaw, so light it felt like butterfly wings brushing against her skin.

"I feel like this is a dream. I feel like it's all been a dream." Abby mumbled. "When I look back, everything is hazy like how you wake up in the morning and just feel memories from a dream but you don't know what they were and their images barely escape you."

"Ye sayin' ah don't feel real enough for ye?" Duff mumbled back, sarcastically insulted. "Talkin' abou' hurtin' ah man's ego."

Abby rolled her eyes at him. "That's not what I meant."

Duff smiled. "Ah know." He stroke her hair sadly like he was petting a dying pet that he's loved and cared for so long. His smile turned to a very distinct frown. Abby also frowned in response and put her hand to his cheek. She looked into his eyes and tried to tell him that she loved him.

"Ah feel like when ye say tha', it's a motherly way of sayin' it. Ye've kind of been like eh mother te meh fer so long. Or like meh sister."

"My job was to protect you. I was assigned to care about this family. Of course I mother you and Bess." Abby smirked. "But it's not just _that _kind of love. You know it isn't. If you didn't I'd have to start asking questions."

Duff chucked a little and buried his head into her bosom. He moaned and mumbled something unintelligible.

"Abby?" they heard a familiar voice. Duff immediately lifted his head and they both looked to their left and saw Bessie standing in the doorway. Duff scrambled off of Abby and covered her with sheets as if trying to hide her. He was embarrassed that his daughter walked in on him with Abby, even though she's walked in on him with women when she was a lot younger, with a lot more grotesque images for just a girl. Duff quickly thought about the abusive exposure he used to give her and for a second he thought he didn't deserve to be happy. Maybe losing Abby and stripping away his greatest happiness was a punishment for all the terrible things he did in life, like being a terrible father.

"Yes, Bessie?" Abby asked, holding the sheets around her tightly. Bessie didn't seem to mind. She was used to it.

"When are ye leavin'?"

"Oh…I don't know, we'll be leaving for the trial soon, sweetie."

Bessie looked down. "Ah just want te make sure ah say goodbye before ye go."

"Bess I would never leave without saying goodbye." Abby couldn't understand why Bessie would even _think _that she would leave without telling her.

Abby's stomach then started to growl. She put a hand to her stomach. "Why don't you meet us downstairs, Bessie. We'll have a little breakfast and talk before we have to go."

"Okay. Can ye make chocolate chip pancakes?" Bessie asked with wide, hopeful eyes.

Abby smiled. "Sure. Anything you want I'll make."

"Ehm goin' te miss yer cookin'…" Bessie mumbled as she walked out the door. Duff then turned to Abby.

"Whut's tha' supposed te mean? Meh cookin's good…"

Abby laughed a little. "You let me cook all the meals for a reason. Remember the cookie incident?"

"Ah never baked before!" Duff defended himself. Abby laughed and fell back onto the bed. Duff fell back with her and sighed.

"Ehm goin' te miss havin' memories of ye. Well…ah guess it wouldn't matter after te trial. If ah can't remember ye, ah can't miss ye, right?"

"Have hope." Abby took his hand and squeezed it. She looked over at him but he was staring at the ceiling.

"Ah don't have hope fer winnin' te trial. Who am ah goin' te fool, sayin' tha' ah have a chance? Ah jus' don' want te forget ye. Tha's whut's killin' meh. Ahm tryin' te figure ah way…"

"Duff…" Abby squeezed his hand. He looked over at her. "Stop worrying and focus on winning the trial. Don't always expect the worst."

"Why? Every time ah get somethin' ah've always wanted it gets taken away. They're takin ye away from meh an' ah know there's nuthin' te hope fer. Ah have no chance of happiness, ah never did. Ah've learned te prepare mehself so te pain doesn't hit too hard, but ah don' know if ah can prepare mehself enough fer this. But if ah won't remember ye, then ah guess te pain won' be so bad."

Abby watched him with sad eyes. "You _do _deserve happiness. And you have just as much a chance of winning that trial as the elders do. They don't judge your past or hold anything against you or base their decisions on prejudiced opinions. You just have to show them how wise and how great of a man I know you are. You have been through so much in your life and have learned a lot. You just have to know whats important in the end."

"An' if ah don't?"

"Then you need to spend your time before we leave thinking about that. I'll be downstairs with Bess when you're ready."

With that, Abby covered herself with Duff's bed sheet, grabbed her clothes off the floor and left the room.

Abby mindlessly flipped pancakes. She tried not to think about Duff or the trial and instead focused on worrying about the chocolate that was sticking to the bottom of the pan.

Bessie was waiting eagerly at the table. She was really going to miss Abby and her cooking, unaware that if her father lost the trial, she wouldn't remember Abby at all, and her father would return to his old ways. Abby was confident that Bessie was strong enough to make it through life without a guardian, no matter how much pain she would have to go through. Abby's original mission focused on Bessie, a miracle child, an innocent angel spawned from what seemed to be the devil himself. But Abby truly believed that her destiny was to help Duff. He was the one that needed a guardian. He may not have deserved to be blessed with such a divine care, but everyone deserved a chance at peace and happiness. Even people like him.

"Abby, are you upset that you're leaving?" Bessie asked.

Abby turned around and looked at her, confused. "Of course I am, Bess. Why are you even asking me that? Do you think I'm happy to leave? Do you doubt my love and care for you and your father? You've been asking me a lot of questions lately that make me think you feel that way."

Bessie looked upset. She didn't want to tell Abby how she felt. It was embarrassing to admit. "Ah just feel like ye know somethin' an' yer nae tellin' us."

"What do you mean?"

"Did the elders reassign ye te ah new fam?"

"No, they didn't. What, you think I'm secretly excited to leave this family and move on to the next one?"

"Ye said ye liked new things."

"I said I liked it when your _father _did new things. I like it when he's unexpected and tries things outside of his comfort zone because it shows me that he's growing and changing as an individual. I like to see him experience life like he's never done before, and I'd like that look in your eyes, too. The only thing I want is to be _human _again, and be a part of this family and have a normal life. I've been cursed with these divine responsibilities to serve mankind. It's not a reward, Bess, it's a curse. I don't want to leave and start all over again with another family. Because unlike you and Duff, _I _have to remember everything and feel the pain of being away from you!"

Bessie crinkled her eyebrows. "Whut dye mean 'unlike meh an' dad ye have te remember'?"

Abby's eyes widened in horror. She didn't mean to say that in front of her. She wasn't supposed to know. "It's just…part of being a guardian, you remember everything about all your past lives and missions and your emotions are heightened because of it. I just mean that missing you and your father would be ten times the amount that you'll feel for me, and the pain will be that much greater."

Bessie lowered her head. "Bein' a guardian don' sound like a lot o' fun."

"No…it's not. But if it wasn't for my life as a guardian, I would have never met you." Abby stroked her charcoal black hair.

"Ye never know…destiny 'as a funny way of workin'."

Abby smiled. "Right you are." She kissed Bessie's hair and hugged her tight. Then she rubbed her arms and shook her a little, playfully. "Now eat your pancakes before they get cold."

Bessie smirked. She was going to miss Abby's motherly orders, too. She dug into the plate of pancakes in front of her while Abby finished cooking the rest of the batch.

The two sat at the kitchen table eating and talking for the next hour. Duff never came down to eat his share of the now-cold pancakes. Abby was a little worried, simply because she had such a strong habit of watching the man, and when she didn't see him or know where he was and what he was doing, she couldn't relax. But, Abby knew that he was, or at least she hoped he was taking the time to really think about what he was going to say at the trial. She felt so terrible for leaving him. She knew the pain he was going through was unbearable. She knew he was so happy to have her in his life and that leaving him would have scarred him for the rest of his life if he remembered her and lost the trial. Duff keeps telling her that it didn't matter, because he wouldn't remember her anyway. But Abby just feared for the few seconds after Duff was told that he lost, and Abby would be taken from him, and he had to come to the hellish reality that he would go back to being the old Duff, and that hope for him would soon be virtually impossible. She didn't want to see the look on his face when they dragged her away, and he began to realize that he wasn't the only one who was going to be punished. Abby knew they would teach her a lesson for exposing the guardians. But she wasn't worried about the pain. She was worried for Duff's life. She needed to be there for him—she felt it. She felt a strong need that attracted her to him, like it was her destiny to be with him and not to move on with her guardian life. She couldn't forget him. It was impossible. Abby felt like they were opposite ends of a magnet and that their match was inevitable. It wasn't just because she loved him. It was different, it was spiritual. From what Abby knew about destiny, she always had a way of knowing what hers was.

It was close to noon. Abby went upstairs to change into her guardian uniform, consisting of ivory pants and a low cross-strapped bra, woven in the finest materials made in the clouds. There was a special tailor that lived in the fluffiest clouds and hand-made all the guardian uniforms. They were also woven with special materials which determined your place in the guardian realm. Abby's uniform was different from the robes the elder's wore over their backs. It had a duller shine.

Abby waited outside the castle. She stared out at the ocean and her wings were out, its feathers trembling in the cold wind. She waited for a long time. Abby didn't want to have to go back inside to find Duff and disturb him, but they had to leave and the elders had very little respect for the tardy.

Abby turned around to head back, but she was struck with surprise when she saw Duff standing right behind her, and she nearly toppled over him.

"How long were you standing there?" Abby asked, a little creeped out. "You made my heart stop, I think."

"Ah suppose it wouldn' kill ye even if ah did." Duff mumbled.

Abby didn't laugh at the joke. "I'm not a fan of people sneaking up on me." She sighed. This wasn't how she wanted to end things with me. "Duff, I'm sorry,"

"Ahm sorry fer sneakin' up on ye. Ah didn' mean te. Ah've just been doin' a lot of thinkin', mah brain is ah wee blank."

"I hope it won't be blank at the trial…"

"Tha's whut ehm savin' mah energy fer."

Abby sighed. They still weren't getting any better at saying goodbye ahead of time. But Abby understood that Duff was shutting his emotions off. He didn't want to feel the pain that he knew was going to hit him very hard, very soon.

Abby was about to grab him and take flight when she noticed something. Duff's right upper arm was wrapped in bandages, with extra bandages layered over his bicep.

"What is that?" Abby asked.

"It's nuthin'."

"What did you do?" Abby snapped like a gator. Leave it up to Duff to do something stupid right before a sentimental moment for the both of them. Always trying to protect against the pain.

"Ah said it's nuthin'. Ah accidentally cut mah arm on somethin'."

"That is no accident. There are way too many bandages for an 'accident'. What the hell did you do? Cut yourself? Did you try to hurt yourself?"

"No." Duff responded calmly. He was so emotionless it just wasn't worth arguing about. His face was dead. "Ah didn' try te hurt mehself."

Abby silently growled to herself. She was infuriated, but she didn't want to start an argument _now_. She wrapped her arms around Duff's stomach and took flight. He was taken aback by the sudden moved, and squirmed in Abby's arms.

"What's the matter, afraid of heights?" Abby snapped again.

"Ah can't say, ah've never been suspended in te air before jus' from someone holdin' onte meh. Ye don' have ah harness or anythin'?"

"What am I, a jet plane?" Abby was angry at him. She floated above the island with him as he got comfortable with his body.

"You need to straighten your body out, as if you were laying on your stomach. I'm going to be flying horizontally."

Duff did his best to level himself but he was obviously still nervous about not being in something as secure as a plane. Abby didn't get his logic; she was _much _safer and more reliable than a plane.

After flying over the ocean for about twenty minutes, Abby broke the silence.

"So now are you ready to tell me what you did to your arm?" Abby asked.

"Ah didn' cut mehself."

"Okay. So then what did you do? And don't tell me it was some accident or I will drop you so help me."

Duff groaned. "Fine, so it wusn't an accident. Ah did it on purpose—"

Abby was so angry that she let go of her hold on Duff. He fell fast, down towards the icy cold roaring waves. He yelled. She wanted him to be scared. Abby waited a few seconds, then she swooped down and caught him again. She rose back to her normal height while Duff squirmed and cursed.

"Whut te _fuck _did ye do tha' fer?!"

Abby tightened her grip on Duff's abdomen, squeezing into his diaphragm. "Life is precious, Duff!" she yelled, enraged at his behavior. "Just because you're afraid to go back to your old ways doesn't mean you have to start reverting back to them now! What makes you think that even though I may only see you for another couple of hours, I'd allow you to go ahead and start diminishing yourself?! What was it, did you stab yourself? Did you spend all that time hurting yourself instead of really looking back on your life?"

"Ah _wus _thinkin'! But ah also needed somethin' te focus on."

"So you _injure _yourself to focus?!"

"It's nae about te pain. Physical pain is somethin' ah deal wit so much, ah can barely feel it. It's te emotional pain ah can't handle. An' if ah don' focus on somethin', ah can't think because ehm thinkin' too much 'bout bein' miserable. Ah don' think meh life would be so bad if ah could only remember ye. Life wit havin' te memories of ye would be better than nuthin', even when ehm back te meh old ways an' maybe ah don' know ye jus' as much. But ah want te wake up every mornin' an' see yer face, even if it's nae there. Even if ah don' know who ye are, ah want te see yer beautiful face"

"Duff…what did you do?"

He wouldn't answer. He didn't want her to know the truth of what he _really _did.

"_Duff_!"

"Okay, _fine_! Ah stabbed mehself, ye happy? Ah had ah slip-up, ah wus thinkin' about how ah used te be an' ehm already depressed jus' thinkin' about it, an' ah wanted te hurt mehself."

Abby was enraged. She wanted to drop him again, and let him fall further than before. She felt like she had accomplished organizing Duff like a nice ball of yarn, and he was uncontrollably unraveling again. Abby felt like all her hard work was useless. She didn't know what to say. She had nothing _to _say because her time was up. Nothing she said would matter anymore because if Duff lost the trial, he would forget it all. Abby had this terrible gut feeling that Duff would lose. But she had to have hope for him, because hope is all they had left. It wasn't worth putting their energy into anything else.

Duff listened to Abby cry silently. He felt bad for lying to Abby about hurting himself, because that's not what he did. He didn't know if he could get away with it or if the elders were psychic and already knew, but Duff figured the less guardians knew the better. Who knows? Maybe guardians are telepathic between each other, and if Abby knew, the other elders would know too. Endless thoughts swirled around in his mind. When he was hiding in his room, he burned a few herbs and incense that his grandmother taught him about. She left behind a countless number of books revolving around spells, rituals and herbs. Cathella had also taught Duff how to use a number of herbs, and left her collection with him. Duff had burned some rosemary, hyssop and sage in his room to cleanse and protect from anyone watching him. He didn't know if herbs really worked or not, but he figured it didn't hurt to have faith in his grandmother's teachings.

Duff soon realized that he couldn't see the ocean anymore, or the other Scottish islands sitting on the horizon. All he could see around him was like thick fog, and he realized they were in the clouds. He felt damp flying through them, for he knew clouds were made from water particles or something like that. For a long time he couldn't see anything but the whiteness, but as Abby flew forward, there was something in the distance that stood out to him. It wasn't completely clear at first, but when they got closer he could start to see a mixture of light and the milky white clouds, swirling together and rotating continuously. He felt like he was Peter Pan entering into Neverland, except Neverland's entrance looked like a magical void that led to Willy Wonka's chocolate factory. The swirls reminded Duff of a giant vanilla lollipop. Abby flew closer and closer and Duff closed his eyes, unsure of what would happen when they entered through.

A minute passed by. Duff felt nothing strange and no pain. He was afraid to open his eyes at first, but finally chose to be brave and open them. When he did, he immediately felt like he was in a dream. It was like blinking and suddenly the world around you has changed. When he opened his eyes Duff _knew _he wasn't on Earth anymore.

Floating in the air on the clouds were castles made of stone and adorned with gold roofs and windows. There were more towers than there were boxed floors. The towers were thin and tall. Some of them reached so high, Duff couldn't see the tops, mainly because the clouds covered them.

"Ah don' suppose ye get planes comin' in every so often by accident?" Duff asked.

Abby mumbled her response. She was still upset thinking about Duff's undoing. "No. The entrance is like the matching end of a magnet. It repels anything trying to come forward that isn't a guardian."

Duff wasn't only amazed by the El Dorado-like city, but by the guardians flying around. What surprised him was that almost every guardian was naked, and simply flew with their amazing wings with nothing to cover their bodies.

"Why are all of them naked?" Duff asked.

"For the same reasons humanity has its political or religious groups today. Here, some guardians believe in the tradition that we are a pure race, and that the idea of clothing was created by the humans to cover their bodies which were found embarrassing, or more likely too seductive. Here, most guardians have shut off human emotion, which they refer to as nature's obstacle, and so they are not distracted and swayed by sexual desires when seeing or being so close to the naked body. Human society today repels showing off its pure form for reasons many guardians don't understand, even though they were a part of that society themselves. Also, the climate here is never too wintry, and our bodies do not feel the pain of cold, so for survival reasons clothing is not necessary."

"Then why are ye wearin' clothin'?"

"Because I do not share the same beliefs with these guardians. I, like the elders, believe that clothing keeps us from being distracted by the body. Not for just sexual reasons, but we believe that the human body is fascinating, and that each body is different and amazing like a work of nature's best art. But, clothing is manily used as adornment. My outfit distinguishes me from the elders. It has a different style and a simple design from simple materials. That shows all other guardians my place in the realm. Every guardian has their own beliefs on clothing. Personally, I have worn clothing in all my human lifetimes and see no reason to stop simply because I have wings. My body is still an evolution of the human's. But sometimes I think how it is only mankind that wears clothing, and that animals and plants are not burdened with this. In fact, some creatures repel the useless ornamentation. Some argue that animals are lower on the scale of evolution, and only care for survival. Animals have fur and do not require clothing to keep warm like the first of humankind did. Now that humanity has evolved, clothing has become less of a survival but more of a decoration or a sign of social status and wealth. However, guardians believe that every living creature despite its place on the scale of evolution is equal to one another. So, many guardians feel that clothing separates us from other creatures or makes us seem as if we _believe _we are greater. I just simply feel uncomfortable being naked all the time, but that's most likely just my leftover human emotions. Many of the guardians you see 'naked' here have been around a long time."

Abby had flown towards a great columned building. They landed on the steps that ascended toward the 'courthouse'.

"Ah thought te elders were te ones who 'ave been around ah long time."

"Not necessarily. Elder position is based on overall wisdom. Your grandmother is an elder and she has not been one for very long. If I wasn't so attached to my past lives and Earthly attachments, I'd probably be an elder too."

"Ye know, sometimes yer a bit of ah two face. One minute yer te Abby ah know, an' te next yer an other worldly, divine creature full of great wisdom an' knowledge…" Duff chuckled. "Ah don' mean tha' in ah bad way, but it's weird. Ah guess even after all tis time, ehm still tryin' te get used te the whole guardian world an' te fact tha' _yer _one of these guardians an' all these _beliefs _tha' ah don' know about in yer world exist. It's jus' weird."

Abby looked down. It took all her strength to try and forget about Duff's arm and move on. This could be their last goodbye, standing on those steps leading up to court. She took her hand and leaned in to kiss his cheek. "Duff…I will always be watching over you…no matter what."

Duff looked at her. He was finally realizing that _this was it_. This could be the last moment he saw or remembered Abby forever. He felt oblivious to the pain that would eventually be nonexistent, but at the same time his heart raced and expanded and exploded at the same time. He felt like he was getting a heart attack. He _was _getting old, after all. He felt like a child again, overwhelmed by the hot tears that stung in his eyes, unable to breathe stably, and feeling like his head was going to burst from the amount of confusion and paranoia and pain. He felt dizzy. He thought he was having a panic attack.

"Abby…Abby ah _can't_…"

She wrapped her arms around him and pulled his body close. He hugged her tightly and didn't want to let go. He wanted to feel her soft skin for the rest of his life. He didn't want her to just be a faint image in his dreams.

"Abby ehm nae ready te give up meh happiness…" Duff nearly choked on his words, overwhelmed by tears.

"Then don't. Win this for us. I have faith in you." Abby kissed him gently on the lips. "You are stronger than them."

She took his hand and together they marched up the steps to the courthouse. Duff breathed in and out heavily, focusing on his sadness and trying to turn it into strength, but it just felt like anger.

When they reached the top, Abby entered through the double doors with him and were admitted into a giant stone lobby. They passed through other guardians that bowed to them, and entered through the next double doors straight ahead. The doors were solid gold. Duff looked up and around and the infinite dome ceiling in the court room, painted elaborately with a magnificent sparkling design. At the very end of the room, a row of twelve elders sat on golden thrones suspended in the air several feet by pedestals. Among those elders was Cathella Killigan, watching over Duff with sad eyes as he walked into the room, as she considers him still her grandson, even though she has moved onto a new life.

Abby led him to the front where she told him to sit down below the elders. The set-up was a bit different than a regular human courtroom. Instead of there being separate areas for the defense, the plaintiff, the judge and jury, it was simply the row of elders and Duff. It was them versus him. Duff was already beginning to think it was unfair.

Abby flew to the side of the courtroom. A couple of other guardian 'bailiffs' stood by her and on the opposite side and by the doors. Duff sat down silently in his chair and it seemed like he was waiting forever for someone to say something. He looked over at Abby but her head was down. He looked up at the elders and they were discussing with each other, probably about him. The wait was gnawing at his stomach from the inside out like a parasite. He didn't want to be disrespectful and ruin his chances of winning by speaking up first or asking when they were starting. It wasn't like he was late for anything. Even if he was, Duff had no way of leaving without winged help anyway.

It seemed like forever, and Duff felt like his stomach was so eaten up it wasn't even there anymore. He just felt painful butterflies floating around his insides with their razor-sharp wings. He cringed, wanting to get this over with. And as if the elders could read his mind, his chair suddenly suspended in the air, many many feet until he could see the elders eye to eye. They all stared down at him, except for Cathella, who still looked sad. Duff looked down and saw Abby. She was now looking up at him with a scared expression. Duff didn't feel lucky.

"You know why you're here, I'm sure." One of the elders spoke first. Their voice boomed and echoed across the entire courtroom.

"Aye." Duff gulped. He had to admit, he wasn't intimidated easily, but this elder intimidated him. He had a young face, a strong jaw, deep-set eyes, but the mind and voice of a scholar.

"Duff Killigan, human from the Earthly realm, you are on trial for knowing of the guardian race, a secret forbidden to humans, and keeping one of our own from completing her mission and continuing on to the next subject."

Duff wanted to open his mouth and argue that none of that was his fault, but Duff knew he wasn't arguing with any normal judge. This was a powerful, supernatural judge, and Abby was on the line.

"Your soul has cost Abigail her place in the guardian world, and this trial will reflect on her existence as well as removing all traces of memory of her passed wisdom and blessings on you as well as your biological daughter, Elspeth Killigan."

"Whut?" Duff widened his eyes. Abby never said anything about _her _being punished after the trial. He looked down at her—she wasn't making eye contact. She lied to him. She lied to protect him, but now Duff felt more vulnerable than ever.

"Duff Killigan, you will be asked one question, and based on your complete response the elders will discuss and determine if you are wise, honorable and trustworthy enough to be the only human keeper of our secrets, and Abigail will be your family's guardian for as long as you desire. This trial has began." With that, the elder slammed his hand on the arm of his throne, which unexpectedly created a loud 'bang', nearly just as startling as his voice.

Duff gulped. He didn't feel like he was ready. He was more nervous than he's ever been in his entire life. His body shivered, but he wasn't cold. Instead he was hot and clammy. It was worse than waiting to receive a test in school when he was a boy.

"Mr. Killigan, here is your question…What is the meaning of life?"

Duff blinked. "Err, ye mean meh life or life in general?"

The elder stared at him. "Whatever you believe will adhere to the best response."

"Well…if ye mean te say life in general, dye mean human life or all life? Like humans an' guardians an' everythin' else livin? Or do ye mean also non-livin' things too? Or dye mean…"

"LET ME just rephrase the question, Mr. Killigan. What life lesson have you learned from human life? NO more questions. You may take time to think, or think aloud if you wish. Please provide any and all answers that come to your human mind."

Duff decided to think out loud. He felt like his mind was too hectic, filled with thoughts shooting in every direction that it was impossible to think let alone keep everything in his head. "Well…if yer talkin' about life in general, it's funny te think abou' why life wus created in te first place. Whut's the point of creatin' plants an' plants evolvin' inte bacteria an' bacteria evolvin' inte fish an' fish evolvin' inte land creatures until millions o' years later here we are, te human race. Society has tis belief tha' we are a civilized people, we wear clothes an' we go te school te learn, we eat on plates with forks an' knives an' spoons…but whut's te point of all o' this?" Duff lifted his hands in the air and looked around him. He chuckled. "Ah don' get it. Ah never did. But most people like mehself don' worry abou' te _meanin' of life_ or who controls te universe or whut happens after death…ah really never thought abou' any of it until Abby sprouted wings an' told me she wus from another world. There are ah lot o' people out ther who _do _think about their spiritual beliefs but _ah _wus never one of 'em. Gram taught meh ah lot when eh wus eh lad, but ah always thought she wus ah doctor talkin' about all those herbs an' strange rituals she did…tha's one of te reasons why I got ah medical degree. Since ah wus ah lad, ah wus always fascinated by te powers of healing an' how fascinating te human body wus. Now, call meh selfish, but when ah think abou' it, all tha' really mattered in life te meh wus love. Ah mean it changed back an' forth ah wee bit an' ah got sidetracked…it's nae like findin' love wus meh _goal _in life…or ah least ah didn't realize it. As ah lad, ah loved meh Ma an' meh sister. They loved meh an' ah loved them. They were te ones tha' kept meh from losin' it since ah had te live wit two other family members tha' seemed te 'ave spent all te time since ah wus born te make meh miserable. Tha's whut ah didn't understand. At four, five, six, ah didn't get why everyone wanted te hurt meh an' hated meh, except fer meh Ma an' meh sister. Ah thought ah wus cursed, ah wus eh demon, an' sometimes ah still do. Maybe ah ehm cursed, ah wouldn't know. But because of _tha_', because meh Ma an' Carol kept meh sane, love 'as always been meh go-to. Gram passed away…then meh Ma…then Carol…an' slowly this pattern started te form in meh life where eh'd find love…an' it wusn't just love, it'd be happiness or peace, ye know? An' then it would be ripped away from meh. Ah' thought eh'd found love again in a woman eh've known meh whole life…ah childhood friend who decided te marry meh brother, which ah always thought wus arranged er somethin'. Ah _never _saw meh brer happy wit tha' woman, an' vice versa, so eh never took their marriage seriously. So ah thought ah found love wit Mary, especially since she wus havin' meh baby an' led meh te believe tha' eh fam wit meh wus whut she wanted. Then one day she has te baby, hands it te meh an' says goodbye. Love gets taken away again. Then fer years eh try an' raise eh baby, by mehself when eh have absolutely no knowledge of how te be eh father, an' eh worked so hard an' loved meh wee Bessie so much until she is taken away because eh made some wrong choices wit te law. Then again eh thought I'd 'ave found love in another woman, Camille, but eh realize whut eh've felt fer her wusn't love. Ah tried te move on, at tis point in meh life eh start te realize tha' eh _want _te fall in love, but ehm thinkin' te mehself ehm incapable of bein' in love, see? Then eh meet Sheila…hard o'er heels, eh really feel it tis time, te passion is stronger but we're fightin' all te time an' all we ever really do is 'ave sex an' there really _is _no romantic relationship, but before eh 'ave time te realize tha' love isn't whut eh feel fer her either, she leaves meh. Then Abby comes along…" Duff smiles to himself. "Whut's there te say? Despite te shock of hearin' abou' her guardian role an' despite tis trial an' fearin' eh could lose her…eh've never been more happy in meh entire life because of Abby. An' it's pure, true love. Ehm _in love _wit her, an' tha's nuthin' eh've ever felt before fer another woman. Ah always _thought _eh wus in love, but now tha' eh know how it feels ah know eh wus eh fool. They're right when they say 'when yer in love, ye'll just know'. Eh feel like eh'm floatin' on clouds mehself when ehm wit her…she makes meh feel like meh mission in life 'as ended because eh've finally found peace, somethin' eh've never had since te day eh wus born. Call meh selfish but Abby an' Bessie are all eh really care abou' in _meh life_. Ah know there's probably eh whole other meanin' te life in general, there's eh reason mankind exists, but eh wouldn' even know where te begin thinkin' abou' tha'. But if ye really think, society kind of 'as tis plan fer everyone in life…be born, be raised, go te school, go te college, get ah job, get married, 'ave kids, live te rest o' yer life wit yer fam an' die, an' yer kids repeat te cycle. Ah know one of te whole important aspects of life is reproduction. Ah know it's like, 'Survival 101' an' it's in our nature te have kids. Tha's why there's male an' female an' tha's why sex exists an' it's all abou' reproduction. An' maybe family originated fer survival reasons, an' ah dunno if te cavemen were all abou' fallin' in love too but ah feel like love is eh big predominant aspect in people's lives teday. Even animals, they protect their mate's an' ther kin, ah think it's kind of ah world-wide value nae jus' fer humans. Ah mean, whut's te point of life if nae love? Ye guardians probably say tha' love is jus' ah silly emotion human's are cursed te feel an' it's brought more pain in te history of our kind, but ah jus' don' see an alternate reason why life even exists at all. Ah mean…ah don' think ye'll ever life if yer searchin' yer whole life lookin' fer te meanin' of it. Does life even have te have ah meanin'? Ah think we're all individuals an' te meanin' of life is different te everyone…but nae even tha'. Then yer probably thinkin' of te animals an' te plants like how Abby says everythin' is life nae just us _humans_. Personally, ah think ye can do all te things ye want te do, see all te places ye want te see, learn everythin' ye want te learn, but if yer nae in love an' find true happiness an' harmony then there's nae point in everythin' else. Tha's whut ah believe after meh short forty years of experience. An' ehm sorry fer dismissin' te big plan or te cosmic reason fer te existence of life…ah 'ave no clue whut tha' is. In _meh _life, ah strongly feel like ah 'ave met meh goal an' reached te top an' te highest ah can go by havin' Abby in meh life. Sure down te road there's arguments an' rough patches an' it won' be happily e'er after but it's ah pretty goddamn good-lookin' future if ye ask meh."

Duff had to catch his breath. He felt like he said everything he wanted to say and there was nothing else lingering around in his mind that he could identify or understand enough to say. He didn't know if his answer was right, but he felt strongly that what he said was true to what he believed in and how he felt, and being so open about that was difficult for him enough. Duff was surprised he even said that much about the philosophy.

"So…what is your final answer?" one of the elders asked.

"Look…" Duff started. He held his head as if he had a headache thinking about all of this. "Ehm nae wise. Ehm nae like ye guys. Sure, ah can be wise an' say te meanin' of life is fer te human race te evolve an' change an' better ourselves an' leave this world ah better place than when we first entered it an' fulfill all te talents destiny gave us te the fullest…sure, ah could say all o' tha'. But ah have nae talents tha' ah feel like fate gave te meh fer eh reason an' tha' it could better te world. Ah could tell ye tha' te meanin' of human life is te destroy, like ah plague, an' then wit ah few generations start all over an' keep improvin'. Ye know, there are so many…" Duff chuckled again. "If there is ah meanin' te life, then there must be ah meanin' te sufferin' too, an' tha's somethin' ah don' understand, unless ye tell meh mah soul is cursed fer all eternity, then I'd say ah understand. Otherwise, ah don'."

"You are not giving us a straight answer, Duff." Another elder said.

"Fine! Ye want meh final answer? Te meanin' of life is te stay alive! Is tha' whut ye want te hear? Well tha's te answer. Te stay alive. But ye know whut? Meh life is worth _nuthin' _te meh if ye take Abby away. If ah lose tis trial, ah can almost guarantee ye tha' eventually meh fate will lead te suicide. Life is meanin'less without feelin' te love tha' ah do fer tha' woman there." Duff pointed to Abby down below. She had tears in her eyes when he glanced at her. "So go ahead, take her away, send meh back te livin' meh old life an' let meh destroy mehself. Ah don' give ah goddamn _shit _abou' stayin' alive. All ah care abou' is Abby."

The elders seemed to be shocked by his crude language and whispered back and forth to each other, as if they didn't expect that kind of answer. The main elder in the middle interrupted to pound his fist on the arm of his thrown and yell,

"Trial adjourned!"

Duff didn't get the chance to say another word for his chair dropped down so abruptly he felt like he was on a bad carnival ride and felt dizzy. When his chair reached the ground, he got up and looked over at Abby. The other guardians were holding her back, but she was crying, and trying to get away from them to run to Duff. He couldn't decode her expression. Why was she crying? Was she moved by what he said or knew for a fact that he had lost? Duff wanted to run over to Abby but all of the guardians simultaneously swooped down with their large powerful wings like great white swans. They landed on the shiny golden floor in a singular line, and gracefully stood tall with their arms folded in their robes. They all looked at Duff, and frankly, he felt extremely frightened.

"Duff Killigan…" the main elder spoke, standing in the middle of the line. "We have made our decision."

Duff looked over at Abby. The guardians were still standing on either side of her, gripping her arms. A third guardian stood behind her. Duff looked back at the line of elders and took a deep breath.

Duff waited in anticipation but it seemed like the elder wanted to rile his nerves and have a little fun, prolonging the verdict. Duff didn't want to be rude and shout out 'what?' but he was just a tad away from doing that.

Finally, after what felt like forever but in reality was more like three minutes, the one elder stepped forward. He leaned back a little, his body language showing he was about to shout across the entire court room again. However, he exhaled and sharply turned to Abby and the guardians around her.

"Cut her!" his voice boomed like a stereo turned all the way up. Duff widened his eyes. He didn't know what 'cutting' Abby meant, but he didn't like the verb.

Duff didn't have time to blink. As he turned his head, he slowly watched the guardian standing behind Abby pull out a large shining gold sword. He watched as if it was in slow motion, even though it took a second. His mind felt on edge, yet dizzy at the same time. He didn't understand, yet he knew what was going to happen, and that he had to save Abby.

It all happened too fast to really take in. Duff just remembered seeing the blood, and hearing Abby's piercing screams as the guardian sliced off her wings in one swift motion. He ran before he could think of what was happening or why he was running, but he was too late. The guardians holding her let her loose, and she fell to the floor. Her entire back was covered in blood. Duff kneeled down and held her in his lap, taking his shirt off and trying to cover the wounds and apply pressure.

"Ahm sorry…" Duff started to cry uncontrollably. He felt the same as when he sister passed. He felt responsible and completely empty. All he could feel was pain. His heart slowed like it refused to beat any longer. "It's all meh fault Abby…" Duff sobbed. "Ahm sorry…"

The main elder walked towards the two of them. His voice boomed again, jolting Duff's heart because it was so thunderous and abrupt. "I hereby free Abigail from her life as a guardian in this realm. She will no longer be accepted here as one of our own, and will no longer serve on missions or be guardian to your family."

Duff was sobbing at this point. He was barely even listening to the elder. He was staring deep into Abby's eyes, whispering to her, telling her to breathe and hold on, not to lose him, and stay with him. He repeatedly told her he was sorry and could barely hear the elder finish over the sound of his own sobs.

"She is human now, and will be free to live the remainder of her mortal life in your realm."

Duff didn't even realize what he said. Abby widened her eyes. Duff thought it was a sign of death or pain, he held onto her harder and nearly yelled at her to stay with him.

"No…Duff…listen…" she whispered. The tears stung in her eyes but she tried to keep them open for him. "Listen to what he is saying…"

"Duff Killigan…you passed this trial with an answer none of us had expected to hear. You will be the first and only bearer of our secrets, and will not lose the blessings of our kind."

Duff turned his head around and stared at the elder like he was a nutcase. "Whut?"

The elder walked up to him and kneeled down to meet his eyes. Duff really looked at his skin and it glowed like it had little pieces of sun in it. "Would you like to know a secret?"

Duff didn't answer. He just blinked.

The elder smiled. "As far as you know, there is no meaning of life. But if there was…it's up to the divine to figure that out. There's no need to think too hard." He chuckled a little, obviously amused by Duff's speech.

"So lemme get this straight…ah passed te trial, ehm goin' te remember Abby an' so will meh daughter an' ah won' go back te the way ah used te be before ah met Abby?"

The elder smiled and nodded his head.

"An' Abby is human now an' she's free te live ah human life, an' she gets te live wit us fer te rest of her life?"

The elder nodded his head again. "That is my blessing to you."

"Then why the hell dye'd 'ave te fuckin' chop her wings off like tha'? Whut, ye don' 'ave surgery in yer world? It's got te be medieval torture?"

Abby sighed. Even though they weren't in the castle, with Duff around it always felt like home.

After Abby got cleaned up and the elder tried to explain to Duff their traditions and rituals of becoming a guardian and becoming a human again, Cathella met up with Abby outside the court house. Her back was all bandaged up and though she was still in pain, she felt a little better now that blood wasn't pouring out of her. She could hear Duff yelling and arguing with the other elder about how their ways are 'cruel and unusual'. Abby smiled. She knew her life with him would never be boring, and in a way she liked the idea of having to always mother him and be the one to calm him down. She was the tea to his bad stomach. Cathella put a hand on her shoulder as she looked out into the clouds, thinking about her future as a human again.

"So this means no strings attached…no more rebirth after this." Abby said, kind of proudly. She had lived too long only to realize that immortality is anything but freedom. She wanted her soul to die and be at peace after this life. She didn't want to have to keep repeating life over and over again to find an answer that she suspected wasn't even there. She wanted to have a happy ending, finally.

"Listen…Abigail. There's somethin' ah think ye should know." Cathella said.

Abby turned around and looked at her. She didn't think she could handle another piece of bad news. "What is it?"

"I overheard some of the other elders talking. They were discussing Duff's soul, which influenced their decision at the trial."

"What about his soul? Was it cleansed?"

"They didn't mention anything about the nature of his soul…but they compared it to yours and…"

"…And what?"

Cathella looked into her eyes and a faint smile escaped onto her lips. "They looked into its history and…they found that Duff shared the same soul as your old husband, from your most recent life."

Abby looked at her for a minute. She didn't say anything or express any emotions on her face. She then looked over at Duff and stared at him too. Duff happened to catch a glance at Abby and saw her staring. He met her gaze and stared back at her, unaware of what Cathella was speaking to her about.

It took Abby a while to process, but eventually, she smiled.


End file.
